Viva Viva L-Karnival! €1.2 million Investment For A More Sustainable Carnival
Carnival is one of the oldest traditions in Malta and around the world. This year’s edition will propel the Maltese carnival forward with an investment of €1.2 million worth of modern tractors and trailers that will raise the quality and standards of this much loved festival.
This February, 20 new tractors equipped with the latest technology will be used by the Carnival participants to transport their trailers from their warehouses to Valletta, as well as during Carnival celebrations to navigate their floats around the streets of Valletta. This investment also includes 20 new trailers that will be used as of next year’s edition of the festival.
Through this initiative, the Government continues to reach its goals for more sustainable festivals that reduce the negative impact on the environment. Minister for National Heritage and Arts Owen Bonnici explained that carnival enthusiasts dedicate a lot of their personal time to this national event and it is not merely a tradition or a pastime, but constitutes a significant part of their lives. Therefore these 20 trailers and 20 tractors will certainly make a marked improvement.
The Festivals Malta Chairman Aaron Zahra stressed that this investment is just one of the steps that Festivals Malta will be taking to not only raise the level of Carnival in Malta but also to considerably reduce the impact the festival has on the environment.
“These tractors are equipped with various features of the highest level in terms of safety, and are therefore safer to work with. So apart from reducing pollution, this investment will help safeguard the health and safety of the Carnival participants,” Zahra said. “Furthermore, the numerous members of the public who attend our activities, Carnival in particular, can put their mind at ease that they are in a safe place that can be enjoyed together with their family, as for us, health and safety are a priority in all the events we organise.”
The Festivals Malta CEO, Annabelle Stivala explained that these tractors represent a change for Malta Carnival. “Where in past years we had to use less adequate machinery as a means of transport for the Carnival floats, now we can facilitate our participants’ work while reducing the environmental impact. Thanks to these tractors, Festivals Malta will be reducing its carbon footprint and harmful emissions by a considerable amount,” she said.
Ms Stivala stressed that apart from those considerations, through the use of the new vehicles, noise pollution caused by normal tractors, which can interfere with the lively atmosphere of Carnival, will be diminished.”
Apart from the investment in these vehicles, Festivals Malta will be allocating a number of containers scattered along the streets of Valletta, in which organic waste, plastic, and tins will be collected and separated. In this way, Festivals Malta will serve as a platform for change for more sustainable festivals.
Il-Karnival ta’ Malta will take place between the 17th and 21st of February. For more information visit www.festivals.mt/karnival.
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