Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning Aaron Farrugia, has said that “the construction process can have a negative impact due to factors such as energy use, construction waste and pollution, which will, in turn, impact climate change and our natural environment.”

He stressed that, “it is therefore important that these processes are done in an environmentally responsible way towards a more sustainable building and construction industry.”

The Minister, who was on a visit to a construction site with Parliamentary Secretary Chris Agius, went on to say that intelligent planning and design has the ability to improve the efficiency of energy use as well as the pollution produced by a building throughout its lifetime.

He added that, “the government is continuing to explore ways to include this sector in the circular economy through the concept of reconstituted stone, and initiatives by developers towards more environmental buildings are very valuable.”

He reiterated the government’s vision to reduce emissions, whilst continuing to generate economic growth and to generate new jobs.

“Our country is on its way to an economic transition in every sector, including in building and construction, so that Malta can be in a position to mitigate the effects of climate change,” he said.

The Minister explained that the government is implementing a number of measures as part of the reform for building and construction in our country.

He said that a number of new reforms will be announced in the coming weeks in order to “modernise and strengthen the industry while providing peace of mind, quality of life and a healthier environment in our country.”

Parliamentary Secretary Agius said that we need to keep working on introducing a culture with increased discipline via more education and enforcement.

Permalink: Moving towards a more sustainable building and construction industry