Africa-Press – Mauritius. A conference entitled ‘KLIMA’ and focusing on the theme ‘Time to Act’, kickstarted, this morning, at the Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB) in St Jean. The initiative aims at informing and mobilising economic actors to address issues pertaining to climate change, including the challenges and levers of adaptation and mitigation for the economy of Mauritius.
The Minister of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change, Mr Kavydass Ramano; and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the MCB Group Limited, Mr Jean Michel Ng Tseung, were present.
The conference is being facilitated by the French firm Utopies which is specialised in sustainable development and, by Mr François Gemenne, specialist in environmental geopolitics.
In his address, Minister Ramano lauded the initiative of the MCB, which he said brings together the two crucial aspects of climate change, namely mitigation and adaptation to climate change and the financial needs to do so.
The climate crisis, stressed the Minister, is the defining issue of our generation. The Environment Minister pointed out that when it comes to tackling climate change, the time to act is now.
He however cautioned that as per the latest report from the United Nations Panel of Experts on climate change, our opportunities to act to prevent the catastrophic effects of climate change are rapidly decreasing.
He rejoiced that today’s initiative from one of the largest banks in the country and in the region, regrouping representatives from key sectors, demonstrates that all stakeholders are convinced of the need to work together to address the climate emergency facing our planet.
According to the Minister, in the wake of the growing vulnerability of Mauritius, being a Small Island Developing State, to the adverse effects of climate change, it is essential for us to increase our efforts in significant ways and requires greater involvement of all economic and development actors to contribute to the ecological and energy transition effort.
On that score, he appealed to the private sector for more active participation in adaptation projects and encouraged them to consider the opportunities available in emerging sectors such as green energy, sustainable agriculture, ecological fishing and ecotourism.
Mr Ramano also dwelt on key Governmental bold measures being undertaken at national level, as well as the range of important projects that are currently underway, both for adaptation, mitigation and risk management.
As for Mr Jean Michel Ng Tseung, he laid emphasis on the need to act promptly in all sectors and on all fronts to mitigate the impacts of climate change and adapt our activities to the new realities in the wake of the phenomenon. He remarked that the crisis will impact Mauritius and the neighbouring islands, and jeopardise our business models, and economic fundamentals.
The CEO called for the need to make smart climate decisions whilst emphasising that collaboration between the private and public sectors along with the society at large and the business community, is a prerequisite to address the prevailing challenges.
As for the MCB, he assured that it is committed to favour climate smart decisions in its banking activities, measure climate risks and implications in projects being financed by the banking institution and finance projects contributing positively to the environment.
Furthermore, he reiterated the MCB’s commitment to support the country in its endeavour to attain its national objectives as regards adaptation and mitigation measures.
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