World Environment Day 2023

It is my pleasure to be here with you this evening on behalf of the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Ms. Lisa Simrique Singh. What a wonderful way to round off World Environment Day with an awards ceremony recognizing the best environmental initiatives contributing to a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable Mauritius. This really is a milestone year as it marks the 50th anniversary of World Environment Day! As such it seems fitting that this year’s theme is “Solutions to Plastic Pollution”. Our dependence on single-use plastic remains one of the biggest environmental issues facing the planet – with severe environmental, social, economic and health consequences.

Message of the UN Secretary-General

Allow me, Ladies and Gentlemen, to share with you the message of the United Nations Secretary-General on World Environment Day.  I quote:

This World Environment Day is a call to beat plastic pollution.

Every year, over 400 million tons of plastic is produced worldwide – one third of which is used just once.

Every day, the equivalent of over 2000 garbage trucks full of plastic is dumped into our oceans, rivers, and lakes.

The consequences are catastrophic.

Microplastics find their way into the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe.

Plastic is made from fossil fuels – the more plastic we produce, the more fossil fuel we burn, and the worse we make the climate crisis.

But we have solutions.

Last year, the global community began negotiating a legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution.

This is a promising first step, but we need all hands-on deck.

A new report by the UN Environment Programme shows that we can reduce plastic pollution by 80 per cent by 2040 – if we act now to reuse, recycle, reorient, and diversify away from plastics.

We must work as one – governments, companies, and consumers alike – to break our addiction to plastics, champion zero waste, and build a truly circular economy.

Together, let us shape a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future for all.

End quote

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The significance for Mauritius as a small island state surrounded by the ocean is clear. Plastics are the largest, most harmful, and most persistent fraction of marine litter, accounting for at least 85 percent of total marine waste. As you may be aware, marine litter and plastic pollution are problematic for many reasons including their inability to biodegrade in a way that’s not harmful to the environment. Impacts on marine life range from physical or chemical harm to individual animals to wider effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. The people of Mauritius are also at risk from marine plastic pollution. As underlined by the Secretary-General research shows that people are inhaling microplastics through the air, consuming them through food and water, and even absorbing them through the skin.

World Environment Day 2023 is a reminder that people’s actions on plastic pollution matter. The steps governments and businesses are taking to tackle plastic pollution will make a difference. It is time to accelerate this action and transition to a circular economy. I must take this opportunity to congratulate the Government of Mauritius – under your leadership Minister - for its forward-thinking policies to address plastic pollution and facilitate sustainable consumption and production with the Master Plan for the Environment approved by the cabinet last June; and the Circular Economy Road Map and Action Plan currently being finalised. The United Nations has been proud partners in both these endeavours. Of course, there are many other initiatives of equal relevance that I haven’t mentioned being carried out by other development partners, private sector, and civil society. All these activities and collaborations are needed because we cannot tackle the climate crisis alone.

That is why initiatives such as this evening’s Environmental Awards led by the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change are so important. It encourages partnerships between sectors to address environmental concerns and explore innovative solutions that are key to the future health of our economy, planet, and humanity. 

A world where people, nature and economies can all thrive — is a vision that may take work but is worth the effort. We all need to come together. Each one of us has a role to play, “as partners and agents of change”. Rest assured the UN will continue to support the Government of Mauritius in its vision for a more sustainable and resilient country. Let’s act now to reuse, recycle, reorient, and diversify away from plastics.

Thank you for your kind attention and I wish you an enjoyable evening celebrating the achievements of the Award Winners.