VALIDATION WORKSHOP FOR THE RIO+20 NATIONAL PREPARATORY
PROCESS
LA CANELLE, DOMAINE LES PAILLES
13 February 2012
Mrs. Tegmo-Reddy - UN Resident Representative
Mrs. Ng, Director of Environment
Mr. Mahomed, Executive Chairman - Commission on Maurice Ile
Durable
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning,
I am pleased to address you in the context of the forthcoming Rio+20
Conference. You will surely recall that at the 1992 Earth Summit,
sustainable development was embraced globally as the development
paradigm to shift away from unsustainable patterns of development.
Twenty years after the Earth Summit, Rio+20 will be one of the most
important
global
meetings
on
sustainable
development
and
thousands of participants from governments, the private sector,
NGOs and other stakeholders will again gather in Rio de Janeiro for a
decisive push towards sustainable development. Official discussions
for Rio+20 will focus on two main themes: How to build a green
economy to achieve sustainable development and lift people out of
poverty and how to improve coordination to make sustainable
development happen. I firmly believe that Rio+20 will provide a new
and historic opportunity to define pathways to a safer, more equitable,
cleaner, greener and more prosperous world.
Let us come back to today’s workshop. The overall objective of this
exercise is two-fold.

First: participants will have the opportunity to take stock of progress
achieved in advancing sustainable development at national level.
They will also take cognizance of the constraints and challenges that
are likely to affect the country’s progress in its quest for sustainability.

Second: the most important intent is to arrive at a consensus on
Mauritius’ key sustainable development concerns and priorities.
Today, you will be called upon to formulate a set of action-oriented
recommendations to transform Mauritius into a green economy.
These recommendations will be enunciated during plenary sessions
in Rio de Janeiro and will serve as an essential roadmap to tread
towards sustainable development after the Rio+20 Conference.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This Government has already embraced sustainable development
and the green economy concept. Allow me therefore to highlight on
some initiatives taken recently. Provisions made during previous
budgets have given the right impetus towards the greening of
Mauritius. We have indeed reshaped policies and redirected
investments and spending in this direction. These include:

The setting up of the MID Fund to support sustainable development
initiatives. Already some Rs. 500 million rupees have been spent in
the implementation of 19 projects that aim at improving energy
efficiency and promoting the use of renewable energy.

Following the 2012 budget, Rs. 250 million have been earmarked to
implement the second phase of the solar water heaters scheme and
Rs. 100 million for new projects on energy efficiency, renewable
energy, composting, biofuels and sensitisation among others.

Development and implementation of a National Framework on
Sustainable Consumption and Production, comprising 44 projects.

Development of a sustainable public procurement policy, and

Promotion of sustainable buildings and energy efficiency are but a
few examples of our transition towards a green economy.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In addition to strong political will and leadership, the path towards
sustainable development and green growth requires the right
enabling environment. It is critical to have proper sustainable
development policies, implementable strategies and practical action
plans in place. A proper management framework is imperative to
ensure success in the pursuit of sustainability. In this context, I am
pleased to announce that consultants have already been appointed
and the formulation of the MID Policy, Strategy and Action Plan has
already started.
The consultants will also review the existing institutional and
legislative framework and develop indicators for monitoring and
evaluating progress in sustainable development. We are expecting
the final MID Policy, Strategy and Action Plan to be ready by end of
July 2012. It is of utmost importance for Ministries and relevant
stakeholders to ensure that their strategies and priority programmes
are taken on board. I therefore urge all of you to contribute actively
and fully to make this endeavour a success.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As we embark in making Maurice Ile Durable a reality, there is an
urgent need to change mindsets and transform lifestyles. In this vein,
the National Programme on Sustainable Consumption and Production
developed by my Ministry is being currently reviewed in the light of
lessons learnt and experience gained during the implementation
process. I am pleased to say that the review will propose solutions to
existing constraints and identify fresh opportunities, projects and best
practices to enhance the National SCP Programme.
Moreover, I would like to underscore that moving towards a
sustainable mode of production and consumption is also dependent
on the role and contribution of all partners, especially the industrial
sector and the business community as a whole. Indeed, sustainable
consumption and production is of significant importance to industries
as it entails resource use efficiency, integrated waste management
and improving supply and demand of sustainable products and
services. It is therefore imperative that enterprises make extensive
use of green technologies, understand the importance of sustainable
consumption and production and the benefits derived from green
practices. Towards this end, Government is putting in place a
National Cleaner Production Centre.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As we strive to move towards sustainable development, we should
not lose sight of the global climate challenge. In this regard,
government has put climate change mitigation and adaptation high on
its agenda. I would like to seize this opportunity to share with you
some of the initiatives taken by my Ministry to increase our climate
resilience and adaptive capacity.

We are currently mainstreaming climate change adaptation into our
institutional framework and core development policies, sectoral
strategies and plans through the Africa Adaptation Programme. Key
sectors
include:
disaster
risk
reduction
and
management,
environment, water, agriculture, fisheries, tourism and education
among others.

A Technology Needs Assessment project on mitigation and
adaptation to climate change is also under implementation. This will
enable us bridge the gap between the identification of appropriate
technologies and the design of action plans so as to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.

My Ministry has also benefited $9 million US dollars from the
Adaptation Fund Board under the Kyoto Protocol to undertake a
climate change adaptation programme in some of our most
vulnerable coastal areas, namely: Mon Choisy, Rivière des Galets,
Quatre Soeurs and Deux Frères. Other components of this
programme comprise the enhancement of Early Warning System to
address incoming storm surges, training and capacity building, policy
mainstreaming, knowledge dissemination and management.

To reduce dependency on imported fossil fuels, Government has set
a target of achieving 35% renewable energy by 2025 and has set a
clear roadmap in the Long Term Energy Strategy 2009 – 2025. We
are also investing massively in the setting up of micro-hydro units and
wind parks in Mauritius and Rodrigues as well as encouraging
households to produce electricity from renewable sources and sell it
to the grid.

To further protect fragile ecosystems, we have elaborated two major
frameworks for the integrated management of our coastal zone and
all Environmentally Sensitive Areas. Recommendations made to that
effect are presently under implementation.

The updated National Environmental Strategies aiming at maintaining
high standards of environmental health and quality of life are also
under implementation. The priority projects focus on integrated air
quality management, industrial pollution prevention, environmental
education and awareness among others.

To green procurement practices across the public sector,
Government has decided to integrate sustainable criteria in the
purchase of goods and services so as to minimize environmental
damage and maximize social benefits. The following seven products
and services are being targeted: paper and printing, IT devices,
cleaning products and services, office and classroom furniture,
vehicles, food and catering services and construction work. We
expect the Private Sector to follow suit.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Government is leaving no stone unturned in its quest for sustainable
development. While we are actively engaged in making Maurice Ile
Durable happen, we also want to be showcased as a sustainable
development model, especially for Small Island Developing States. I
therefore make an appeal that we pool our resources together to
come up with a solid set of recommendations. I am therefore relying
on your full support and collaboration for today’s mission.
I am pleased to announce that the theme for Independence Day, on
the 12th of March will be “Maurice Nou L’Ile Durable”
I wish you all fruitful deliberations and thank you for your attention.