The Malta Development Bank (MDB) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have kicked off an extensive collaboration project aimed at enhancing the ability of the MDB to support the Maltese economy and businesses. The MDB aims to accelerate the green transition in Malta by financing environmentally sustainable projects, which contribute to address climate change.
The first meeting between the two sides was held over the past days at the premises of the Malta Development Bank in Floriana. The MDB and EIB teams were led by Paul V Azzopardi, CEO of the MDB, and Nikolaos Tritaris, Senior Advisor at the EIB, respectively.
This collaboration is being facilitated through the Green Gateway advisory service, a joint project between the EIB – the EU Climate Bank – and the European Commission. Through this backing, the MDB will enhance its ability to identify, support, finance and report on the eligibility of green projects, including as an intermediary of the EIB, as well aligning itself to these high standards. The advisory service will also help the MDB to identify promising green market segments, client categories and investment types.
The Green Gateway project aims to pave the way for innovative financing solutions that drive positive environmental impact in the context of climate change.
The advisory collaboration ties up with a recent agreement signed with the EIB, through which the latter had agreed to provide MDB with a €30 million loan to finance small-scale green investments on favourable conditions.
In parallel, this advisory support will complement and build upon the MDB ESG Policy that was approved by the Bank’s Board of Directors towards the end of 2023. MDB’s ESG Policy reflects the twin approach taken by the Bank, in ensuring full integration of ESG standards in its own operations while ensuring that third party projects which are financed through the MDB contributes to an orderly transition to a sustainable economy and enhance social value.
Paul V Azzopardi, CEO of the Malta Development Bank said: “We are very grateful for the opportunity to expand our ability to support the Maltese economy to address the challenge of climate change. We are therefore strengthening our ability to be leaders in making this change happen and to play a major role in financing the transition of the Maltese economy to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy.”
L-MDB isaħħaħ il-kompetenza fl-iffinanzjar ta’ proġetti sostenibbli b’appoġġ mill-Green Gateway tal-BEI
Il-Bank Malti għall-Iżvilupp (MDB) u l-Bank Ewropew tal-Investiment (BEI) taw bidu għal proġett ta’ kollaborazzjoni wiesa’ intiż li jsaħħaħ il-ħila tal-MDB li jappoġġja l-ekonomija Maltija u n-negozji lokali. L-MDB għandu l-għan li jgħin biex iħaffef it-transizzjoni ekoloġika f’pajjiżna billi jiffinanzja proġetti ambjentalment sostenibbli li jgħinu biex tkun indirizzata l-bidla fil-klima.
L-ewwel laqgħa bejn iż-żewġ naħat saret fl-aħħar jiem fl-uffiċċji tal-Bank Malti għall-Iżvilupp fil-Floriana. It-timijiet rispettivi kienu mmexxija minn Paul V Azzopardi, Kap Eżekuttiv tal-MDB, u Nikolaos Tritaris, Konsulent Ewlieni tal-BEI, rispettivament.
Din il-kollaborazzjoni qed tiġi ffaċilitata permezz tas-servizz ta’ konsulenza tal-Green Gateway, proġett konġunt bejn il-BEI – il-Bank tal-Klima tal-UE – u l-Kummissjoni Ewropea. B’dan l-appoġġ, l-MDB se jsaħħaħ il-ħila tiegħu li jidentifika, jappoġġja, jiffinanzja u jirrapporta dwar l-eliġibilità ta’ proġetti ambjentalment sostenibbli, inkluż bħala intermedjarju tal-BEI, u jilħaq l-ogħla standards ta’ din l-istituzzjoni. Is-servizz ta’ konsulenza se jgħin lill-Bank biex jidentifika opportunitajiet, klijenti u tipi ta’ investimenti ġodda fis-settur ambjentali.
Il-proġett Green Gateway għandu l-għan li jwitti t-triq għal soluzzjonijiet ta’ finanzjament innovattivi li jwasslu għal impatt ambjentali pożittiv fil-kuntest tal-bidla tal-klima. Dan il-ftehim ta’ kollaborazzjoni hu marbut ma’ ftehim riċenti ffirmat mal-BEI, li permezz tiegħu dan aċċetta li jipprovdi lill-MDB b’self ta’ €30 miljun biex jiffinanzja investimenti ambjentalment sostenibbli fuq skala żgħira b’kundizzjonijiet favorevoli.
Fl-istess waqt, dan l-appoġġ jikkumplimenta u jibni fuq il-politika tal-MDB dwar l-ESG li kienet approvata mill-Bord tad-Diretturi tal-Bank lejn l-aħħar tal-2023. Din il-politika tiriffletti l-istrateġija tal-Bank li jiżgura l-integrazzjoni sħiħa tal-istandards tal-ESG fl-operat tiegħu filwaqt li jiżgura wkoll li proġetti ta’ terzi li huma ffinanzjati mill-MDB jagħtu kontribut favur transizzjoni lejn ekonomija sostenibbli u jsaħħu l-valur soċjali.
Paul V Azzopardi, Kap Eżekuttiv tal-Bank Malti għall-Iżvilupp qal: “Ninsabu grati ferm ta’ l-opportunità li nsaħħu l-ħila tagħna li nappoġġjaw l-ekonomija Maltija biex nindirizzaw l-isfida tal-bidla fil-klima. Aħna qed nsaħħu l-abbiltà li nkunu fuq quddiem biex din il-bidla tirnexxi u jkollna rwol ewlieni biex niffinanzjaw it-transizzjoni tal-ekonomija Maltija lejn waħda li tipproduċi inqas emissjonijiet u li tħares il-klima tagħna”.