Mauritius
Distinguished Chair, Thank you.
I wish to thank the panelists of yesterday and today for their very thought-provoking
presentations and their enthusiasm.
Mauritius wishes to associate itself with the statements made on behalf of the G77&China and
on behalf of AOSIS.
Mr Chair,
Over the past years, Mauritius has been implementing SCP practices in a number of fields, using
economic instruments such as through progressive and differential tariffs in the electricity and
water sector, and through public awareness campaigns. The primary and secondary school
curricula now include modules on waste avoidance, and focus on empowering children and
youth in adopting more sustainable lifetsyles. However, activities and initiatives were scattered
and were not viewed as being sufficiently integrated and effective and needed to be catalysed
and upscaled, especially within the new policy of ?Maurice Ile Durable? ? ?Mauritius Sustainable
Island?, which we are pursuing since 2007. In this spirit, our new 2007 National Environment
Policy highlighted SCP as a priority area of intervention which required multistakeholder
commitment and action.
Mr Chair,
In 2008, with assistance of UNEP, Mauritius was privileged to be one of the pilot countries in
Africa to have developed a National Programme on SCP, after wide national multistakeholder
dialogue. During that process, Mauritius tested the methodological approach in the development
of SCP programmes, entitled ?Planning for Change?.
Our SCP programme is now under implementation by various agencies. Activities have been
completed or are under way in fields such as youth empowerment, sustainable public
procurement, rainwater harvesting and extended producer responsibility, in many instances with
assistance from UNEP. Consumer education for sustainable choices range from social
consumption, e.g. financial services, to eco-choices related to packaging.
Mr Chair,
Although we believe that Governments need to ?lead by example?, in Mauritius, the private
sector has been fully involved in the process and are continuously encouraged to come up with
innovative SCP approaches that would meet their needs. The significant potential productivity
and competitiveness gains represent the best advocate for SCP. However, we realize that specific
support is required for the small, medium and micro enterprise sector to embark in SCP
practices, as small size and market forces, especially in a SIDS, represent serious barriers to
SCP.
Mr Chair,
As a net-importing country, we have been overwhelmed with imported goods, services and
lifestyles, and are struggling with unsustainable consumerism. However, implementing SCP only
at local and national levels, without a global shift towards more sustainable patterns of
production and consumption, runs the risk of making our export-oriented economy more
vulnerable to exogenous shocks.
Traditional island living was more sustainable and needs to be revalorized. However, in 2010,
access to appropriate infrastructure (such as cycling lanes, low-carbon transport options,
sustainable resource utilization, cleaner technology), to appropriate information and to adequate
financing in a timely manner, is essential to ensure this transition to more sustainable lifestyles.
Mr Chair,
Sustainable development is not possible without SCP.
Thank you.
I wish to thank the panelists of yesterday and today for their very thought-provoking
presentations and their enthusiasm.
Mauritius wishes to associate itself with the statements made on behalf of the G77&China and
on behalf of AOSIS.
Mr Chair,
Over the past years, Mauritius has been implementing SCP practices in a number of fields, using
economic instruments such as through progressive and differential tariffs in the electricity and
water sector, and through public awareness campaigns. The primary and secondary school
curricula now include modules on waste avoidance, and focus on empowering children and
youth in adopting more sustainable lifetsyles. However, activities and initiatives were scattered
and were not viewed as being sufficiently integrated and effective and needed to be catalysed
and upscaled, especially within the new policy of ?Maurice Ile Durable? ? ?Mauritius Sustainable
Island?, which we are pursuing since 2007. In this spirit, our new 2007 National Environment
Policy highlighted SCP as a priority area of intervention which required multistakeholder
commitment and action.
Mr Chair,
In 2008, with assistance of UNEP, Mauritius was privileged to be one of the pilot countries in
Africa to have developed a National Programme on SCP, after wide national multistakeholder
dialogue. During that process, Mauritius tested the methodological approach in the development
of SCP programmes, entitled ?Planning for Change?.
Our SCP programme is now under implementation by various agencies. Activities have been
completed or are under way in fields such as youth empowerment, sustainable public
procurement, rainwater harvesting and extended producer responsibility, in many instances with
assistance from UNEP. Consumer education for sustainable choices range from social
consumption, e.g. financial services, to eco-choices related to packaging.
Mr Chair,
Although we believe that Governments need to ?lead by example?, in Mauritius, the private
sector has been fully involved in the process and are continuously encouraged to come up with
innovative SCP approaches that would meet their needs. The significant potential productivity
and competitiveness gains represent the best advocate for SCP. However, we realize that specific
support is required for the small, medium and micro enterprise sector to embark in SCP
practices, as small size and market forces, especially in a SIDS, represent serious barriers to
SCP.
Mr Chair,
As a net-importing country, we have been overwhelmed with imported goods, services and
lifestyles, and are struggling with unsustainable consumerism. However, implementing SCP only
at local and national levels, without a global shift towards more sustainable patterns of
production and consumption, runs the risk of making our export-oriented economy more
vulnerable to exogenous shocks.
Traditional island living was more sustainable and needs to be revalorized. However, in 2010,
access to appropriate infrastructure (such as cycling lanes, low-carbon transport options,
sustainable resource utilization, cleaner technology), to appropriate information and to adequate
financing in a timely manner, is essential to ensure this transition to more sustainable lifestyles.
Mr Chair,
Sustainable development is not possible without SCP.
Thank you.
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