Africa-Press – Mauritius. The Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in collaboration with the National Forum for Colleges (NAFCO) organised, today, a one-day seminar for the youth of Mauritius in the context of the coming United Nations Climate Change Conference 2022 (COP27) so as to sensitise them about the impacts of climate change around the world.
The opening ceremony was held, this morning, at the seat of the Embassy, in Ebène. The 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 27) will take place from 06 November 2022 to 18 November 2022 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
COP27 will bring Governments together to accelerate global efforts to confront the climate crisis as there is a need to urgently scale up efforts to adapt to a warming world and to implement climate solutions across all sectors to halve emissions by 2030.
The Minister of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change, Mr Kavydass Ramano, the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Mauritius, Dr Alya’a Samir Borhan, the British High Commissioner to Mauritius, Ms Charlotte Pierre, the President of NAFCO Mauritius, Mr Mathieu Dacruz, as well as other personalities were present at the ceremony.
In his address, Minister Ramano emphasised that Mauritius, as a Small Island Developing State, remains a special case for sustainable development and continues to face unique and increasing challenges with respect to the degradation of ecosystems, biodiversity loss, water stress and extreme weather events, amongst others.
In this context, he stressed the present seminar needs to consider climate change from a holistic perspective and all the Sustainable Development Goals when addressing climate change challenges.
Today’s event, he indicated, is an important milestone in the pathway that the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change has charted to enhance environmental and climate governance along with other initiatives taken previously, notably: consultations with some 700 stakeholders in different forums during the Stockholm+50 event and the preparation of the Mauritius updated Nationally Determined Contribution; and the Provision for public consultation, stakeholder engagement and access to information in the Environment Protection Act and the Climate Change Act.
Mr Ramano further dwelt on some of the actions that his Ministry is implementing with the collaboration of stakeholders to define our national legal and institutional frameworks for environmental and climate governance.
These are: environmental planning and the Environmental Impact Assessment Mechanism; the integrated coastal zone management and policy and planning systems; the Polluter Pays Principle so that those who give rise to pollution bears the responsibility of managing it to prevent harming the environment; and the Extended Producer Responsibility policy and legal framework for e-waste and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.
“The new generation is growing up with modern information technologies, such as artificial intelligence, robotics and augmented reality tools among others that allows them to have a more precise appreciation of the challenges lying ahead,” the Minister pointed out.
He thus appealed to the youth to use these tools in a more ingenious way to approach environmental and climate change problems as they are not only the leaders of tomorrow but also the partners of today and have always been a key ally in the promotion of sustainable development and environmental protection of the country.
For her part, the Egyptian Ambassador highlighted that the seminar will focus on presentations and videos as regards the combat against climate change and how to minimise the rise in temperature beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius.
This workshop is a relay handed over to the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt by the British High Commission and now we are taking on this important struggle, Dr Borhan added.
The event, she indicated, will comprise three axes, namely, one for capacity building and awareness, one for mitigation and adaptation and formulation of certain policies, and the third session will require participants to draft statements or communiqués that will be put forward to COP27 by the Egyptian Embassy.
We hope to guide them on how to formulate these important documents that will be sent to Cairo which is aware of the position of the youth of Mauritius as regards climate change, the Egyptian Ambassador said.
As for the British High Commissioner, she joined the Egyptian Ambassador in commending the efforts of the Government of Mauritius to tackle climate change.
According to her, the policies and measures announced in Budget 2022/23 bear testimony to these efforts to accelerate the move to clean power and help deliver on Mauritius’s commitments to produce 60% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030.
Some of the measures include: installation of solar power systems; transitioning to hybrid and electric vehicles; ensuring carbon neutrality in the industrial sector by 2030 and; preparing a carbon credit trading framework to reduce carbon emission and carbon trading.
The British High Commissioner stressed on the importance to drive practical actions across all issues in line with the Glasgow Climate Pact agreed by world leaders at COP26, for it will be a key stepping-stone on the path to COP27.
She urged the youth to make their voices heard as the voice of young people around the world is a powerful catalyst for the change needed to combat climate emergency.
For More News And Analysis About Mauritius Follow Africa-Press
