NAO and ECA Annual Seminar: “Enhancing the Impact of Sustainability Audits”
Published March 12, 2025
On the 11 March 2025, the Parliamentary Ombudsman, Judge Emeritus Joseph Zammit McKeon and the Commissioner for Environment and Planning, Perit Alan Saliba attended the Annual Seminar organised by the National Audit Office and the European Court of Auditors. The theme for the 2025 Seminar was: "Enhancing the Impact of Sustainability Audits”. The event brought together local and foreign experts who discussed and shared their experiences and expertise on the evolving landscape of sustainability in audit practices.
The conference participants were addressed by Mr Charles Deguara (Auditor General) and Dr George Marius Hyzler (Member of the European Court of Auditor) amongst others. The interventions dwelt on the views and objectives of the NAO and ECA regarding sustainability audits including the issue of climate action. There were also technical presentations that stimulated reflection on the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) perspectives.
In a question-and-answer session that followed a panel discussion, the Ombudsman raised the critical issue of the positive obligations of States that are parties to the European Convention of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms to mitigate the negative effects of climate change. He specifically referred to the judgment delivered by the Grand Chamber of the ECtHR on the 9 April 2024 in Verein Klimaseniorinnen Schweiz and others v. Switzerland. For further insight on this matter, please refer to the article published on MaltaToday on 2 March 2025. Read the article here.
Topics including policy implementation, regulatory compliance, and the changing expectations of audit institutions were extensively considered and highlighted the absolute need for sustainable development and its audit to be a priority for States, despite other challenging matters of international concern.
