A secure and environment-friendly energy supply and sustainable use of resources are of vital importance in order to combat climate change and secure the life of future generations.

As part of the activities during the German Presidency of the Council of the European

Union, the German Embassy in Malta is organising a half-day seminar on the subject on 5 March in Valletta at the Malta Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise. The opening address will be delivered by Resources and Infrastructure Minister Ninu Zammit. The seminar, aimed at the Maltese business community, is entitled “Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency – A Business Opportunity in Malta”.

“Malta‘s dependency on oil imports for energy and water production makes it vulnerable.

Renewable energy and energy efficiency can contribute towards a viable solution. Malta has an immense potential for example in solar energy”, German Ambassador Karl Andreas von Stenglin said.

The seminar will be addressed by key experts from Germany as well as representatives from Malta who will highlight various state of the art technologies and their practical applications. The participants will have the opportunity to network and make business contacts.

The speakers include representatives from Dr. Köhn Innovationsgesellschaft mbH Germany, Hydrogen Challenger GmbH Germany, SMA Technologie AG Germany, Sunset Energietechnik GmbH Germany, from Abertax Group Malta, EUROMEDITI, METTTES / Malta Enterprise, Playmobil Malta Ltd.

The seminar is being organised in collaboration with EUROMEDITI and Fraunhofer SIT (Malta), with support of the Malta Chamber of Commerce & Enterprise and the Malta Federation of Industry.

After the seminar, the German Ambassador will officially open a panel exhibition at the same venue.

Portraying a vast variety of applications of renewable energy, the exhibition has been touring various countries and will be open to the public until 16 March.

Attendance for both the seminar and the opening of the exhibition is free of charge however prior booking is required on a first-come basis through the Malta Chamber of

Commerce & Enterprise on tel. 21 233 873, fax 21 245 223 or e-mail admin@chamber. org.mt for reservations.