Standards create goals, setting the bar to enable transformational processes. They touch every citizen, young and old, employed or on a pension, sick or healthy. On October 14, together with the global standards movement, the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA) celebrated World Standard Day by organising a national digital conference on the theme ‘Protecting the planet with standards’.
The conference focussed on how standards help reduce the environmental impact of production and processes, facilitate the reuse of limited resources and improve energy efficiency. It included a keynote message from Sergio Mujica, secretary general of the International Standards Organisation (ISO) and a panel discussion from experts and industry on sustainability in Malta and industry’s role to lessen its impact on the environment.
The benefits of an organisation being ISO-certified and the experience in developing standards were also highlighted.
Three Young Sustainability ambassadors – Francesca Fabri, Faye Galea and Krista Mercieca – shared their aspirations and spoke on how standards impact their everyday lives. The ambassadors were selected following a competition between children attending primary and secondary education to be the voice of the future generation.
The MCCAA is dedicated to promoting best practices to support more sustainable consumption
In her speech, Tourism and Consumer Protection Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli underlined the importance of standards to promote the adoption of best practices that are agreed and maintained through a consensus of stakeholders, including industry, associations, consumers and regulators. She remarked that standards promote the attainment of a better quality of life in a more sustainable way that has a minimal impact on the environment.
“I am pleased to see how even in the tourism sector there have been a number of hotels that have complied with the relevant standards, with one of the government’s goals being that of achieving sustainable tourism”, said Farrugia Portelli.
Deo Debattista, Parliamentary Secretary for Consumer Protection and Public Cleansing, highlighted that standards can have a tangible impact by both protecting consumers and providing them with the necessary information to make informed choices and educated conclusions. He added that standards help make products and services safer, easier to use and lead to a better quality of life.
MCCAA chairperson Helga Pizzuto reflected on the role of the Standardisation Directorate of the MCCAA’s Standards and Metrology Institute. The directorate has developed a number of standards that are of national importance on a wide range of subjects, including the installation of PV panels and the construction of green roofs. When drafting standards, sustainability issues are taken into consideration, such as economic development, social inclusion and environment protection, which are key to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The MCCAA is dedicated to promoting best practices underpinned by national, European and international standards to support more sustainable consumption, production and development. The authority is committed to work with organisations of all sizes to help improve their performance, reduce risk and increase resilience.
Odette Vella, Director, Information and Research Directorate