Honourable Georges Pierre Lesjongard, Minister of Energy and Public Utilities 

Honourable Kavydass Ramano, Minister of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change

Mrs Sally Harrison, British Deputy High Commissioner

Mrs Guness- Goolbar, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities

Mrs Nathoo, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change

Mr Beemadoo, Chairman of the Mauritius Renewable Energy Authority (MARENA)

Board of Directors of MARENA

Ms. Mreedula Mungra, CEO of MARENA

Distinguished Guests

Members of the press

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to address you this morning. Today’s event testifies the will of the Government to meet the goals set in the recently updated Nationally Determined Contributions for the Republic of Mauritius.

The UNDP Mauritius Country Office, through the Climate Promise Initiative, has worked closely with the government to set bold objectives that have been adopted by the Government of Mauritius in its NDCs. We are pleased to note that the budgetary measures in terms of the impressive targets to meet 60% of the energy mix from renewable energy and to phase out coal by 2030 were echoed in the NDCs. However, only about 24 % of the electricity mix is currently contributed by RE, with the share of bagasse amounting to about 14%. Hence, there is a pressing need for the rapid expansion of the production of RE, which is also listed as one of the main mitigation activities for Mauritius’ NDCs.

We understand that MARENA has been entrusted to lead the review of the RE Roadmap to align with the updated national mitigation targets.  We are glad that the Government has also undertaken several supporting initiatives such as the “10 Year Electric Vehicle Integration Roadmap for Mauritius”, National Battery Plan and a National Biomass Framework. All these initiatives will enable strategic decision making, especially in developing the green energy industry as a new economic growth pole.

Since 2009, UNDP has been a committed partner to the Government in the endeavour to shift to a less carbon intensive economy. The Green Climate Fund grant of USD 28 million is meant to contribute towards the ambitious target of the Government in overcoming identified barriers to low-carbon investment, including institutional strengthening for renewable energy and improving grid absorption capacity, notably using battery energy storage systems. 

I am pleased to inform you that this year we are proceeding with phase 2 of the GCF project towards installation of a total of 25 Megawatt of rooftop PV capacity, that will be connected to the national grid. Low-income households, NGOs and public buildings will be provided with partial grant through the project funds to acquire small scale grid connected PV systems. And Component 3 of the project, whereby we will install Hybrid (PV and diesel) mini grids with generation capacity of 300 kilowatt covering three villages on the island of Agalega which will reduce the dependency of the island on diesel fuel shipped from Mauritius.

We also recognise that the planned investment required to reach the new 60 % target will significantly exceed the estimated USD 700 Million for an earlier target of 40%. It is therefore critical for the country to attract the funding required within this decade. Allow me to inform you that the UNDP is currently working in collaboration with EDB and various stakeholders on an SDG Investor Map which will provide market intelligence, produced by the Country Office and partners, to help private investors (funds, financiers, corporations) identify investment opportunities and business models that have significant potential to advance the SDGs, including investment in the Renewable Energy Sector. 

Ladies and Gentlemen

Let me close by saying that, through the submission of ambitious targets in the NDCs, we have the opportunity to meet the increasing energy demand and support green growth in ways that improve energy security, reduce dependency on fossil fuel technologies, leverages investment and create employment in an inclusive manner. 

Revolving around systemic change, the UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2022-2025 sets out our vision of a future smart UNDP which works with partners to drive forward progress across the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In all these efforts, empowering women and girls is one of the most effective ways to advance the SDGs. Today’s activity provides an important forum for engaging with stakeholders to work together to deliver and accelerate actions to tackle the climate crisis. This will help us to bring about the kind of transformation that this moment demands. 

Thank you for your kind attention.