Malta ‘continues to move’ towards an ecological transition and green economy – government

Following the announcement in the Budget that the Malta Stock Exchange will be offering an attractive package to investors for green bonds to finance green economy projects, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning Aaron Farrugia held meetings with Luxembourg Environment Minister Carole Dieschbourg and the Finance Ministry in Luxembourg.

The Ministers discussed the structures necessary for the country to make use of green bonds for projects which promote quality of life, environmental health and sustainable projects.

Minister Farrugia explained that these projects, which are infrastructural in nature, need to be beneficial to all; protecting the environment, mitigating the effects of climate change including emissions, and creating new green jobs.

Green bonds are a way to finance sustainable and environmental projects such as renewable energy projects, clean transport, energy-efficient buildings and waste management initiatives. Green bonds abide to the rules laid out by the Climate Bonds Initiative.

The Ministers discussed how Luxembourg became the first European country to launch its Sustainability Bond Framework just a few weeks ago. This innovative framework, which meets the highest market standards, is also the first in the world to fully comply with the new recommendations of the European taxonomy for green financing.

The eligibility criteria and recommendations of the final reports of the Technical Expert Group (TEG) on the Taxonomy of the European Union was also discussed, as well as the framework which has been designed to comply with the draft European Green Bonds Standard (EU GBS).

Minister Farrugia said that green bonds coupled with the investments being made, as well as the Resilience and Recovery Fund, will lead our country to its ecological transition towards the Malta of tomorrow.