EkoSkola Malta

EkoSkola students audit the Office of the Prime Minister at Auberge de Castille

A group of six EkoSkola students from St. Ignatius College Middle School accompanied by their educators carried out an environmental audit at the Office of the Prime Minister and other areas within Auberge de Castille, including the quarters of Hon. Dr. Carmelo Abela, Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister.

Accompanied by their teachers and the EkoSkola coordination team, the students toured and examined the building and audited various areas including; the front offices, the reception area, the Prime Minister’s office, the staterooms, the boardrooms, the kitchenettes, the bathrooms, the restrooms, the corridors, the fire exits, the waiting rooms, the terraces and various other facilities. The students also had the opportunity to interview staff members to further understand in which way the existing building design, operations and in-house policies are contributing to a more sustainable lifestyle.

The students were met by Hon. Dr. Robert Abela, Prime Minister of Malta and Hon. Dr. Carmelo Abela, Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister. Vincent Attard, Executive Director of Nature Trust-FEE Malta and Prof Paul Pace, National Coordinator of EcoSchools Malta were also present for the occasion.

The students’ recommendations were collated and tabled into an action plan that was then presented to Hon. Dr. Robert Abela and Hon. Dr. Carmelo Abela in the presence of their staff. In a year’s time the EkoSkola students will once again visit the OPM to verify if any of the recommendations they put forward were taken aboard.

Similar audits have been carried out at various private institutions and government entities by various EkoSkola committees since 2012. These audits provide students with an opportunity to learn from and actively engage with real-life community-based sustainability issues and dilemmas.