HSBC Malta Foundation and Malta Chamber of SMEs hold sustainability seminar series

The HSBC Malta Foundation and the Malta Chamber of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have partnered up to organise a series of six webinars for SMEs on corporate sustainability practices across a variety of industries.

The first three webinars of the series focused on sustainability in general, sustainability in the transport and maritime sectors and sustainability in the retail, wholesale and hospitality sectors.

The remaining three webinars, to be held in the coming months, will elaborate on how sustainability practices can improve operations in the professional services sector, in the manufacturing and industrial services sectors and in the financial services sector.

Dr Roberta Lepre, managing consultant at Weave Consulting and host of the seminar series, said: “Increasing sustainability practices in corporate operations brings with it various advantages. Beyond being a prerequisite for a better future, sustainability can help businesses in reducing operational costs and gaining access to more innovative technologies. Additionally, business leaders who adopt sustainable approaches will see their corporation’s reputation growing, further underpinning commercial success.”

Michel Cordina, executive director and head of Business Development at HSBC Malta, said: “HSBC Malta is committed to becoming a net-zero bank by 2030 so sustainability for us is a strategic imperative. An important arm of our sustainability strategy is the financing and support that we are providing to our customers to transition to net-zero. The HSBC Malta Foundation is actively supporting the business community through activities such as this seminar series organised together with the Chamber of SMEs and Dr Lepre to learn about the advantages of sustainable practices and to begin to adapt their operations accordingly.”

Abigail Agius Mamo, chief Executive officer of the Chamber of SMEs, said: “Operational sustainability is an indicator of how long a business can maintain its current practices without risking its future resources. Ever so more, sustainability refers to ecological resources; however, the focus must also concentrate on social and economic resources, too, to ensure longterm success in today’s challenging corporate landscape. We thank HSBC Malta and Dr Lepre for supporting us in the upskilling of our members in this area.”