More than 200 newly-planted lentisc trees will soon be taking up root inside a Paola public garden, thanks to an initiative by staff and managers at the Central Bank of Malta. 

Staff at the bank volunteered to reduce the number of poinsettias provided to decorate their offices over the festive season, opting instead to use the money to buy trees to be planted through Ambjent Malta.

Members of the bank’s administration department raised €1,200 through the initiative, allowing them to buy 96 trees. The bank agreed to match that amount and to sponsor an equal number of trees, over and above 50 trees already bought by the bank. 

The Central Bank’s donation was used to plant saplings in Mediterranean Garden in Paola. 

Most of the trees are Pistacia lentiscus, or lentisc in English. 

Lentisc trees are evergreen low-lying trees that grow quickly and are indigenous to Malta. 

Ambjent Malta senior environment inspector  John Neville Ebejer said that the trees would “create a green buffer wall along the perimeter of the site as the species grows into a thick and much branched bush.” 

The entity also planted Mediterranean Cypress, Jerusalem Pine, Carob, Olive and Judas trees in the area. 

“The best way to combat climate change – but also to have a better standard of living – is to plant trees. Let us all stop talking and start planting”, Mr Ebejer said.

The bank has been planting trees every year as part of its corporate social responsibility programme since 2011. 

Governor Mario Vella said he agreed with European Central Bank director Christine Lagarde’s push to make climate change a “mission-critical” priority for the ECB and said central banks ought to take a more active role in combating climate change.