Environment Minister highlights urgent climate situation ahead of COP26

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Environment Minister highlights urgent climate situation ahead of COP26
Environment Minister highlights urgent climate situation ahead of COP26

Africa-Press – Mauritius. At a press conference held, this afternoon, in Port Louis as regards the participation of the Republic of Mauritius at the 26th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Scotland next week, the Minister of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change, Mr Kavydass Ramano, highlighted the urgency of the climate crisis, and hoped for drastic measures to address the situation.

Regarding the country’s updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), submitted on 05 October 2021 to the UNFCCC Secretariat, Mr Ramano dwelt on the revised ambition of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 40% by 2030.

He added that some US $ 6.5 billion will be required to that end. While Government and the private sector will provide finance up to US $ 2.3 billion, donors will be sought for the rest of the estimated financial resources needed, he explained.

Speaking on the necessity for developed countries to stick to their commitment to limiting global average temperature increases to 1.5 C˚, Minister Ramano said that it was crucial to act on climate change whose impacts result on loss of lives and livelihoods, infrastructure destruction, and biodiversity extinction.

The Minister underlined that there are already consequences of climate change in our Republic namely: increase of 1.39 C˚ of average temperature; decrease of average annual rainfall by 104 mm over 70 years and 7.7% over the last ten years; sea level rise at an accelerating rate of 5.6 mm per year for Mauritius and 9 mm per year for Rodrigues; erosion of coastal lines of up to 20 metres during the last decade; and extreme weather occurrences such as flash floods.

As a Small Island Developing States (SIDS), recalled Mr Ramano, Mauritius is considered highly vulnerable to climate change and the 2021 World Risk Report ranks it 51st among the highest disaster risk countries.

He added that the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America mentioned that the probability of a major cyclone occurring in the southern Indian Ocean increases by 18% per decade.

Thus, emphasised the Minister, at COP26, Mauritius will support the various international calls to promote resilience and reduce emissions such as the United Nations Climate Emergency Declaration to work towards carbon neutrality; the Global (Green Grids Initiative) – One Sun One World One Grid agenda for a clean-powered future; and the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use.

Furthermore, the Minister talked of the country’s expectations for COP26. Mauritius, he stated, will align itself with the position of the African Union, AOSIS and the Group 77 and China. It will also support the finalisation of the Paris Agreement Rulebook.

According to Mr Ramano, the country will back a fair and equitable mechanism for the carbon market; access predictable funding for SIDS, African countries and Least Developed Countries; and call on the developed nations to increase their climate finance to meet the $100 billion target agreed in Paris, among others.

It is noted that a Mauritian delegation, headed by the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, will participate in COP26, to be held from 31 October to 12 November 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland.

The event will bring together governments, businesses, local authorities, and civil society to discuss global climate action. There will be a high-level segment with the World Leaders Summit scheduled from 01 to 02 November for Heads of State and Government to attend. The Mauritian delegation will also join in high-level discussions and several side events.

Among those are the Discussions on the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure together with the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS); the Commonwealth-Climate Vulnerable Forum; UNFCCC – Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement mandated sessions; thematic discussions on finances, energy, adaptation, transport, urbanisation, youth empowerment; and working sessions with AOSIS and the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment.

Mauritius will moreover partake in negotiations relating to carbon markets, rules for transparent Reporting of Action, common timeframes for emission reduction commitment, promotion of fair and inclusive climate actions, access to finances, mitigation measures, as well as loss and damage mechanism.

Bilateral meets are planned, too, with donors such as the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Agence Française de Développement, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Adaptation Fund, and the Global Environment Facility.

Other meetings where the Mauritian delegation will be present are the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub; the Powering Past Coal Alliance; and the Powering the World Past Coal.

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