A conference – ‘Implementing a business threat or opportunity?’ – was held at the Hilton Hotel, St Julian’s. The conference was held in Malta a few days before world leaders signed the 2015 Paris Agreement, a global agreement that puts the world on track to avoid dangerous climate change.

Francis Sullivan, deputy head of global corporate austainability, regional head of Europe and adviser on the environment and climate change, HSBC Holdings plc, said the shift to a low-carbon economy was a certainty rather than a possibility.

He said governments and businesses would need to work together to reduce the flow of finance to the high-carbon economy in a way that creates a smooth transition to a low-carbon future.

Other speakers included Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties, Helena Dalli, Minister for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change, Leo Brincat, MEUSAC head Vanni Xuereb, head of the European Commission Representation in Malta, Elena Grech, and Marc Frasson Botton and Fabien Courtellemont, spokesmen for ECO-FRENCH, the French and Maltese eco-friendly platform.

The event was organised by MEUSAC, the Ministry for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change, HSBC Bank Malta, the European Commission Representation in Malta, the French embassy in Malta, the Climate Action Board and Climate Action Fund.