Author: Developers Think

For the third year running, Atlas is raising awareness of the importance of good mental health during the month of October. Taking a step back and reflecting about one’s personal mental wellbeing and that of others is one of the important messages that Atlas Insurance wants to convey during the month.

In fact, during October, Atlas will be engaging with its stakeholders, in particular its employees and clients, and will be organising a number of webinars as part of this initiative.

“World Mental Health Day is being marked on 10 October by the World Health Organisation and our company, for the third consecutive year, has embarked on a month-long programme of activities to make sure our stakeholders remain cognisant of the fact that mental health is a vital part of our wellbeing. We all know how stress and anxiety, both at work and in our personal lives, can affect our wellbeing. In addition, the pandemic has heightened such pressures and we have to be aware of the importance of mental wellbeing, as well as ways of how one can deal with such issues and help others,” said Catherine Calleja, Managing Director at Atlas Healthcare.

She added: “Mental Health Awareness month reflects Atlas’s values and commitment to promote wellbeing and provide added value to our clients and employees.”

Throughout the month, a 30-day Mental Health Guide developed by ICAS will be shared by Atlas on its social media channels as well as amongst its employees. A similar initiative was launched last year and was very well received.

Together with ICAS, Atlas will also be organising a series of engaging webinars for #TeamAtlas which will cover various topics and will address the needs of both employees and the company’s leadership team.

In addition, Atlas will be continue collaborating with The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry on this theme by organising a webinar for the firm’s clients and partners, as well as The Malta Chamber members.

As part of the company’s partnership agreement signed in 2020 with The Malta Chamber, Atlas Insurance is spearheading the cross-sectoral Health and Wellness Committee. With the formation of this committee, the business community stands to benefit from a better exchange of insights and policies between various stakeholders, so as to raise the bar in terms of the importance of work-life balance and the physical and psychological wellbeing of employees and businesses.

ICAS is a global 24/7 international Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), provided by Atlas Healthcare, which provides unlimited direct access to psychologists for employees and their families, as well as local face to face counselling, legal and financial helplines and support for HR and line managers. To learn more about the services they can offer to organisations, visit www.atlas.com.mt/icas

PKF Malta has launched its newly redesigned website featuring all the latest information and updates on the company, in a user-friendly and visually-compelling style which is in line with PKF International’s global branding framework.

The website – https://www.pkfmalta.com – is very easy to navigate and adaptable when viewing it using a laptop, tablet or smartphone.
PKF Malta’s new website was developed using a high quality and efficient platform backend which supports the brand and is search engine optimized. It features added security in order to sustain the firm’s business in its current and future needs.

In addition, the new website includes also live chat functionality and allows its users to sign up to PKF Malta’s newsletter. With mega-navigation, full mobile responsiveness, links to PKF Malta’s social media accounts, multi-lingual functionality and content areas that work with Bootstrap CSS – which offers much more flexibility – the new website is truly a major step forward.

“Investing in a new, professional website and making sure its content is updated on a regular basis is key to any business. We believe that revamping our website both from a technical and visual perspective will help PKF Malta better communicate who we are, what we offer, as well as the events and initiatives that we organize or partake in. We are proud to state that our new website is supported by PKF’s International team,” said George Mangion, Senior Partner of PKF Malta.

The website features all the information relating to the services offered by PKF Malta – from accounting, auditing, back office operations to captive insurance, consultancy and corporation and tax advice. It provides information on both the Malta-based firm as well as PKF International and features a dedicated news section, as well as the facility to view online publications and brochures produced by PKF and which can be downloaded free of charge.

PKF Malta is a fast-growing, progressive firm specialising in audit & assurance, tax, advisory services, and internal audit insurance. PKF Malta is a member of PKF International, a network of independent firms of accountants and business advisors operating in 150 countries across five regions. In 2019, PKF International celebrated its 50th Anniversary and PKF Malta has been operating in Malta for more than 27 years.

BNF Bank employees ditched their cars and opted for other means of transport for their commute to work, as part of this years’ European Mobility Week. Staff from branches and head office, opted for alternative and greener modes of transport contributing in part to less polluted and congested roads.

The EU Mobility Week is an initiative aimed at promoting sustainable transportation with the use of low-or zero-emission mobility, enhancing people’s well-being and contributing to the fight against climate change.

BNF Bank supported the European Mobility Week initiative by raising internal awareness amongst its staff members and the day was topped-up with a refreshing smoothie served in a reusable cup, in collaboration with Dr Juice.

George Debono, Chief Commercial Officer said that “It is through such initiatives that organisations and corporate companies can make a difference in the community in which they operate. At BNF Bank we aim to engage employees in our Corporate Social Responsibility programmes and strongly value their commitment to different causes.”

In the global drive towards carbon neutrality, European companies that raise finance in the global capital markets are leading their peers – 24% of issuers (16% globally) have already made a net zero commitment, according to HSBC’s Sustainable Financing and Investing Survey 2021.

The vast majority of issuers in Europe (97%) and across the world (94%) are planning to start transitioning away from environmentally and socially-challenged business models within the next five years, the survey shows.

European investors are demanding that companies make these changes, with almost all of them (99.6%) saying it’s either “important” or “vitally important” for entities they invest in to be preparing for the effects of climate change. Almost 11% (23% globally) of those who deem it vital say they will divest themselves of companies that don’t have credible transition plans.

In their commitment to carbon neutrality, European investors are world leading themselves – 38% have already made a net zero pledge, compared with 17% of investors globally. 91% of European investors (43% last year) say they have a firm-wide policy on responsible investing or ESG issues, marking the highest percentage of any region.

27% of issuing companies in Europe say their businesses are already being impacted by climate change, compared with 50% globally. 72% of European issuers state they are considering reducing or exiting some business activities which could be vulnerable to climate change, the highest percentage of any region globally.

At the same time, 68% of all surveyed companies in the region are considering starting or ramping up businesses that will benefit from climate change.

Colin Bell, CEO of HSBC Bank plc and HSBC Europe, said: “While the drive towards greater sustainability is a global movement, European investors and issuers are at the forefront of it, demonstrating across many areas what change can look like. The transition to a net-zero global economy will require collaborative and consistent efforts across our economies and societies, with sustainable finance playing a key role. We will continue to support our customers in achieving their growth and sustainability goals.”

Simon Vaughan Johnson, HSBC Malta CEO, said: “Sustainability is a key element of our safe growth strategy and we are committed to providing our customers in Malta with sustainable investment choices. With a full range of Euro denominated Responsible Investment Funds, which offer investment opportunities to develop a functioning carbon-offset market, we aim to help build a thriving and resilient future for investors and the wider community in Malta.”

An increasing number of European investors say there is now nothing holding them back from pursuing Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)-based investing –
(88% compared to 54% last year). With the global average at 64%, this marks the highest percentage of any region. Of the 12% who see themselves being held back, 43% say that is down to a shortage of expertise or qualified staff.

European investors still think issuers need to improve their environmental disclosures with 38% branding them “inadequate”. They are also concerned about greenwashing, or false claims of environmental benefits, with 66% saying it is a concern.

There are initiatives to create labelling systems to show that certain issues are independently verified as sustainable, for example in sustainable infrastructure. 64% of European investors said they would be much more confident about investing in sustainable infrastructure if such labelling system was implemented, the survey shows.

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