EU Events in Malta focus on circular economy and sustainable tourism

On 8 May, two back-to-back conferences of the EU Commission took place in Valletta, Malta: the EMAS Awards 2017 and the High Level Conference on Sustainable Tourism; adelphi helped organise both events.

The 11th edition of the EMAS Awards was organised under the theme "Contributing to making the European economy more circular” and took place in Valletta, Malta. The European Commission recognised organisations that use EMAS (the European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) to improve their resource efficiency significantly. Three organisations were awarded with the top prize at the EMAS Awards 2017: a small printing company in the UK, a hotel chain in Belgium, and a university in Germany. These organisations stand out among their peers for their ambitious actions that produce impacts across the whole value chain.

The winner in the category “Small and Medium Private Organisations” is Seacourt Ltd from the United Kingdom, a family-owned company, which uses no water, no chemicals and 100% renewable energy for printing. Seacourt was also one of the first in the industry to bring zero waste to landfill - everything the company produces is either used as a finished product or recovered. In the category “Large Private Organisations”, Martin's Hotels received the highest distinction. The company has implemented dozens of actions to reduce its environmental impacts, from sourcing to waste management. Winner in the category “Public Organisations” is the Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde in Germany, in recognition of their efforts to train young people to take on roles in the future circular economy and for “walking the talk” with regard to their education programmes.

The winners were selected from among 20 nominees in 11 European countries by a jury of Circular Economy experts chaired by Hans Bruyninckx, Executive Director of the European Environmental Agency. Karmenu Vella, EU Commissioner for Environment, Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, presented the winners with their trophies.

The EMAS Awards ceremony was not the only major event that took place on the 8th of May in Malta. A few hours before, the European Commission hosted tourism professionals from within and outside the European Union participating in the Commission’s High Level Conference on Sustainable Tourism.

The conference was organised in the context of the United Nations’ (UN) decision to adopt 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. In keynote speeches the conference looked at key trends and opportunities within sustainable tourism, presented case studies on sustainable tourism in practice, and assessed the role of EMAS and the EU Ecolabel for promoting sustainable tourism within European Union Member states. The conference highlighted the urgent need to take action quickly, as environmental pressures from tourism are growing.

adelphi supported the European Commission in organising the EMAS Awards and the High Level Conference on Sustainable Tourism. Further information on EMAS and the EMAS Awards can be found on the EMAS website.