Validation Workshop for the first National Climate Change Mitigation Strategy and Action Plan

Introduction

It is a pleasure for me to be among you, this morning, for the opening ceremony of this Validation Workshop for the first National Climate Change Mitigation Strategy and Action Plan. I am pleased to note that, under the leadership of the Hon. Minister of Environment, Climate Change, and Solid Waste Management, Mauritius is continuing its efforts to not only abide by its commitments under the Paris Agreement but also to accelerate its climate action with this plan which will also support the implementation of the Climate Change Act 2020. The plan will also be key in defining priority areas for future collaboration as the UN undertakes the development of the new Cooperation Framework with the Government of Mauritius.

Vulnerability of SIDS and Mauritius to Climate Change

Climate change knows no borders and will affect all countries, but it is well known that Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are among the most vulnerable nations. 

For more than a decade now, SIDS have been advocating to limit the increase in global average temperature to no more than 1.5°C under the slogan “1.5 to Stay Alive”. 

Already, 1.2 degrees of global warming have caused oceans to become warmer and more acidic, leading to more intense marine heatwaves, faster seal level rise, more intense cyclones and increased coastal erosion. These changes have had a negative impact on both nature and livelihoods. SIDS such as Mauritius are already experiencing significant climate change impacts; the mean annual temperature over the island has increased by 1.4°C in the last 70 years, while sea level rise has increased by 4.7mm every year.  In addition, floods and especially flash flood are becoming more and more prominent, with flooding caused by heavy rains accounting for over 70% of disasters each year in the country.

Mauritius Revised Nationally Determined Contributions

Against this very bleak backdrop, I wish to commend the Government of Mauritius for its leadership and commitment in tackling the climate crisis.  I congratulate the Government for its bold, innovative, and ambitious approach in its revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) to address both the drivers and the impact of climate change, namely with regards to its commitment to:

• Reduce its GHG emissions by 40% by 2030
• Increase the share of renewable energy in its energy mix to 60% by 2030
• Phase-out the use of coal before 2030

By embracing a low carbon economy pathway, Mauritius is setting an example to the whole world about how to win this fight against climate change. This plan being launched today supports the country’s long-term objective ‘to contribute towards achieving a net-zero carbon society by 2070 while achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and securing a high quality of life for all’.

UN and Government Partnership

At the request of the Government, the UN - through UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and Global Environment Facility (GEF) - provided technical and financial assistance to develop the nation’s first climate change mitigation strategy and action plan under the Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) project for Low Carbon Island Development Strategy in Mauritius. This is a GEF-5 cycle project approved by GEF in 2016 with a total grant of USD 1,452,000.

Let me assure you Honourable Minister that the UN remains a committed partner of the Government in this endeavour to ensure a low carbon path for Mauritius – in supporting your efforts to make Mauritius a cleaner and greener country while achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. This GEF project links with the SDG 7 goal to “Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all”.

As such the project is structured into 3 components:

• Component 1: Strengthen National Capability to identify, prioritize and develop mitigation actions to meet NDCs targets. Led by Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change

• Component 2: Initiate implementations on Renewable Energy (RE) target to meet the NDC goals through development of regulatory, legal and policy framework. It is led by the Central Electricity Board and Utility Regulatory Authority

• Component 3: Establishment of an Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) to track and transparently report on NDC implementations. It is led by the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change and the Statistic Mauritius with technical support of UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre.

There is no doubt that this strategy and action plan will play a pivotal role in the mitigation achievements of the NDCs – targeting an emission reduction of 40% by 2030. It is comprehensive and takes a non-siloed approach by incorporating different sectors including energy industries, land transport, solid waste management, wastewater management, industrial processes & product use, agriculture & livestock and forestry & land use. Going further, it also discusses the effective implementation of Enhanced Transferred Framework (ETF) required under the Paris Agreement.

I would also like to take this opportunity to applaud the government’s inclusion of a monitoring and evaluation framework to address the transparency requirements of the Paris Agreement and to measure the sustainable development benefits of the mitigation actions of the NDC. Inclusion and transparency are central to ensure we Leave No One Behind as we strive to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Conclusion

Next month COP27 - The 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change– will bring together the largest gathering of Heads of State, ministers and policy-makers, climate activists, civil society representatives, and CEOs to build on the outcomes of COP26. To deliver action on an array of issues critical to tackling the climate emergency. This marks an opportunity to renew solidarity between countries, to deliver on the landmark Paris Agreement, for People, Planet and Prosperity.  Mauritius has kept up the momentum of COP26 in its efforts to not only abide by its commitments under the Paris Agreement but also to accelerate its climate action. This validation workshop today encapsulates the mindset that countries and especially Small Island Developing States should adopt to keep advocating for the 1.5-degree target in the run-up to COP27.

On this note, I wish you all a very fruitful workshop and thank you for your kind attention.