When you’re young you feel that all those who happen to be older have become out of date and are endeavouring to dominate young people with their antiquated beliefs and customs. Inevitably you rebel although young people do not always choose to rebel in the same way... At least that’s how I (and others in my situation) felt matters stood in days gone by.
When you grow older and finally become elderly, you start getting the feeling that younger people are too immature, too certain they know it all and too ready to bluff their way out of the mistakes they commit. You need to try and keep in check the belief that younger guys are just too presumptuous.
That’s how it goes with people of my generation.But this just forms part of the pattern to which our life is designed: convinced that our views and the times we have lived through remain the best, whether we lived them as young people or as old.
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ESG
Much needed has been the initiative by which priority is being given to promote the principles of ESG in the corporate governance of private and state companies. About its importance there can be little doubt for those who keep track of economic and social developments in Europe (actually in the capitalist world).
E -- for the environment. S -- for society. G -- for governance. Step by step, standards are being set to define how in practice, a company needs to implement values that are meant to safeguard the environment, display social responsibility and give evidence of prudent governance. The standards require certain big changes in commercial management. In some cases, they involve a greater operational expense.
The extra effort needed and the additional expense required are triggering discontent and widespread complaints among many large enterprises as well as smes. Unfortunately, the valid argument that the new required commitments will eventually deliver major positive outcomes is hardly helping to tone the discontent down. Still, the fact remains that as a result of these changes, enterprises will eventually be able to deploy less resources and spend less funds in the future when having to deal with the effects of climate change and unsustainable policies.
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SCHOOLS
In hundreds of British schools, it has been discovered that the concrete used to build them has become seriously corroded. Indeed, unless urgent and major repair works are carried out, the continued use of the school facilities will put kids and teachers in peril. The repairs that need to be done amount to hundreds of millions in sterling.
The controversy that then ballooned was predictable: Who was responsible for having allowed matters deteriorate to this extent? What measures were taken over the years to monitor the state of the buildings and ensure they were maintained properly? Is it true that the government was aware of the problem but took no action? Plus other queries.
All this is reminiscent of the scandals and controversies which arose in Malta over the years. Running the public administrative system effectively, with a political competence that is free of corruption, is not an easy task.