Mauritius is on track to become a green economy with two fresh developments to aid its progress towards sustainable development.
Not only has the new Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) chosen Mauritius as a pilot country for its green initiatives but the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is also giving technical assistance to the island economy to go green.
PAGE is a response to the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +20), entitled The Future We Want, which recognizes the Green Economy as a means to sustainable development and poverty eradication.
During a press conference in Port-Louis yesterday, the Executive Chairman of MID (Maurice Ile Durable) Commission, Osman Mahomed, announced that two UNEP experts are on the island for a three-day scoping mission regarding a supportive fiscal policy for the Green Economy.
Osman Mohamed mentioned during the press conference that a range of projects which amount approximately Rs 1 billion that have already been put in place by the MID Commission.
There are more projects which are in the pipeline and some of them will be shortly implemented, he noted.
On the UNEP front, the national agent for the project, University of Mauritius, will work in collaboration with the two experts who will give technical assistance on the subjects of Green Industry and High Economy by looking into fiscal policy issues which Mauritius is facing as it tries to go green while maintaining its economic growth rate.
According to one of the UNEP experts, Dr Silvana Dalmazzone, the scoping mission will also make sure that the legal framework provides for an all-inclusive and sustainable green economy.
Jason Dion from the Institute for Sustainable Development noted that the island nation’s policies also need to look into possible green investment for Mauritius to be a sustainable high-income economy.
Moreover, the Executive Chairman of the MID Commission was also given the related document on the new PAGE by the UN Resident Coordination and UNDP Resident Representative, Simon Springett, yesterday morning.
Over the next seven years, PAGE will support 30 countries to build national green economy strategies that will create new jobs and skills, support clean technologies, and decrease environmental risks and poverty. PAGE will put emphasis during the first two years of the partnership on seven pilot countries and broaden their support to 30 by 2020.
These countries will be provided with a comprehensive suite of green economy services by the UNEP, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) which will allow them to change their national economic structures so as to meet the growing demands and challenges of the 21st century.
In addition, for participating countries, PAGE will create a new generation of assets such as clean technologies, resource efficient infrastructure, well-functioning ecosystems, green skilled labour and good governance by shifting investment and policies.
The four UN agencies have carried out joint green initiatives before, but this represents the first time that all the partners are gathered at a national levelto bring their support, expertise and resources to aid a country’s progress towards a green economy.
Image (UNEP): Not only has the new Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) chosen Mauritius as a pilot country for its green initiatives but the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is also giving technical assistance to the island economy to go green.
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