Minister José Herrera to address first-ever Malta Sustainability Forum

José Herrera, Minister for The Environment, Sustainable Development And Climate Change, has been announced as the keynote speaker for next week’s Malta Sustainability Forum.

The Forum, which will take place on 14 November at the Westin Dragonara Resort, will also feature a jam-packed agenda of fascinating talks from leading local and international minds on the topic of sustainability, as well as a special edition of the popular APS Talks series, addressed by sustainability and CSR Strategist Prof Ioannis Ioannou.

Speaking ahead of his keynote speech, Minister Herrera stressed that it has always been important to debate the issue of sustainability and how to achieve it. “However, the importance of this topic has become even more apparent since the United Nations affirmed its17 Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. Beyond that, the Government’s 2020 Budget was also the first to tackle the issue of sustainability directly.”

As the Forum will target both consumers and corporations under the overarching theme of ‘the Thinking Citizen’, Minister Herrera believes it will give everyone present the opportunity to understand and discuss the important principals of sustainability directly.

“Sustainability is not resolved in a vacuum,” he says. “Equally it is not resolved by a unique and correct solution, ideological constraints, or multiple intervention points. Additionally, it cannot be resolved by resisting change, value conflict, and political and economic constraints.

“While these are all excellent ingredients for a thorough debate, the issues underpinning sustainability are so urgent that, beyond academic reflection, much more is necessary than what academics, political leaders, administrators, industry, nations, communities, and individuals are usually ready to commit to do.”

With this in mind, he believes business and individuals should attend this public Forum so that they can interact with key, knowledgeable people to “improve our scientific and pedagogical knowledge together, though the acquisition of knowledge of other realities – different from the ones to which we are accustomed.

“It is therefore crucial that we are more and more integrated into this globalised world,” he adds. “I look forward to addressing this and other impor

The general public is invited to attend the Malta Sustainability Forum. The Forum will run from 11am until 4.30pm, with a networking lunch at 1pm. A special edition of the APS Talks series will take place after the Forum. Further details and combination tickets are available on the website.

tant topics in my Keynote at the Forum.”