AD think-tank makes case on green jobs, volunteering for sustainable development

University lecturer and researcher Leonie Baldacchino said that entrepreneurs should be not focused on only generating profit but should address all three pillars of sustainability: Profit, People and Planet (also known as Triple Bottom Line).

Addressing a round-table discussion on green jobs from a small state perspective, organised by AD’s think tank group, Fondazzjoni Cerationia, Baldacchino said companies should also be valued according to their Triple Bottom Line.

This system includes the three pillars of sustainability, where a company is not only focused on generating profit but also looks into the well-being of its workers and its operations would be more environmental friendly.

“This could easily be achieved in Malta as most of the companies are small or medium-sized enterprises,” Baldacchino said.

Speaking on artisans, she said that craft nurtures cultural identity that in its turn creates a pool of local knowledge: “It also reduces the need of being dependent on foreign products.”

Baldacchino said artisans face many challenges in Malta, including unfair competition from local markets and the lack of support from local authorities. She commented on how products, which are mass-produced abroad, are sold as “artisan crafts” in Malta. Sometimes these would be sold as genuine Maltese crafts.

“Such products would also include the Maltese cross. How can the local artisan compete with products that are mass-produced? Craft is time consuming,” she said.

Baldacchino recommended that a certificate, and not simply a sticker, should be introduced for genuine local handmade products, while such craft should be promoted among Maltese buyers. She also highlighted the need for local authorities to support this trade: “Expanding buildings and issuing more licences is not enough if then the artisan is not protected from unfair competition.”

Also addressing sustainable development from a volunteerism point of view was social gerontology lecturer Marvin Formosa. He argued that older volunteers are a valuable resource, a reliable and experienced labour pool.

With Malta’s fertility rate standing at 1.4 and life expectancy already increased to 77 years for males and 82 years for females, the population is aging. It is expected that in 15 years time, a quarter of Malta’s population would be aged 65 and over.

“We must look at how to make localities more age friendly and improve the inclusion of older people,” Formosa said.

By way of example, he recalled how middle-aged people, while excluding older participants, run day care centres for the elderly.

Speaking on the benefits of green volunteering - including caring for wildlife, teaching on waste management, farming of organic products and more – Formosa said it has major benefits for older persons:

“It not only involves physical activity but also promotes better health outcomes. Unlike many senior centres, environmental organisations are age-integrated,” he argued.

During his study, Formosa also noted that environmental volunteering attracts older men because it is consistent with their lifelong patterns.

Benefits of volunteering are not only physical, but also emotional and social capital benefits. On the other hand, it also spreads to environmental and educational benefits.

“When compared to other age groups, there are fewer older persons who engage in volunteerism. Government, the Opposition and NGOs need to look at policies which help increase their participations,” he said.

“I believe older people might not be aware or know where to go if they are interested in volunteering. Moreover, they might not be encouraged.”

Suggesting directions for policies, Formosa said green volunteering should be presented as in option pre-retirement programmes, and advertise it as a mean of self-actualisation rather than as a form of unpaid work.

Another problem that might be negatively affecting older persons is the perception about what getting older means. Formosa noted how government, in the past 12 years, addressed policies for the elderly that highlighted health and social needs. “This might be sending out the message that becoming old automatically means needing help from someone else and that one is no longer fully independent.”