[{"bbox": [97, 153, 1134, 207], "category": "Text", "text": "dialogue with the private sector and civil society, consists of 80 actions for Mauritius and 30 actions for Rodrigues at macro, meso and micro levels totalling a budget of EUR 28.5 million over 5 years."}, {"bbox": [97, 218, 1134, 432], "category": "Text", "text": "The Circular Economy Roadmap and Action Plan received strong support from both public and private stakeholders, as well as development partners. Private sector operators have expressed interest in applying sustainability principles inspired by the EU and regional good practices (Indian Ocean Region, La Réunion). However, due to the cross-cutting nature of the circular economy, implementing the roadmap presents specific challenges that require reinforcing the central capacity of key institutions, as well as the encouragement of the critical mass to join into the circular economy transition. This reinforcement is necessary to bring together the knowledge, technology, and finance required to support the public and private sector adopting circular economy principles."}, {"bbox": [97, 443, 1134, 578], "category": "Text", "text": "In response, Mauritius aims to enhance the public sector's institutional capacities for coordinating stakeholders, adjusting policies and regulations, and creating the regulatory, infrastructure, and enterprise support systems that enable the development of circular economy projects and the implementation of its Circular Economy Action Plan. Likewise, the CE Roadmap and Action Plan seeks to address the enabling ecosystem (knowledge/skills, finance, incubation, innovation/research, advocacy). Both aspects shall be supported with the proposed Action."}, {"bbox": [97, 588, 1134, 907], "category": "Text", "text": "The governance structure of the roadmap is currently being established¹¹. It comprises an Inter-Ministerial Committee chaired by the Minister of Environment, Solid Waste Management, and Climate Change (MOESWMCC or MOE). A Steering Committee reports to this Inter-Ministerial Committee. The latter Steering Committee is co-chaired by the MOE and Business Mauritius¹², which coordinates five sector platforms (Agrifood, Construction and Real Estate, Consumer Goods, Mobility and Logistics, and Waste Management) and one committee for cross-cutting actions (Governance, Education and Awareness, Research and Development, Business Support, Public Procurement, Greening of Fiscal Policies, and Financing). Through this mechanism, the government also seeks to actively collaborate with the private sector to transition market dynamics from linear to circular. In this regard, the private sector CE initiatives have shown to be dynamic¹³, such as the Circular Economy Club organised by Business Mauritius (last event held in April 2024), and specific company and NGO initiatives to innovate products inspired by circular thinking, including in the recycling of glass, plastics, construction materials as well as poultry waste and e-waste."}, {"bbox": [97, 918, 1134, 1238], "category": "Text", "text": "One of the priorities of the government is to apply the circular economy principles to construction and demolition waste (CDW), and beyond, to the built environment value chain, through prevention, valorisation, and better management, with private sector involvement. The focus on the built environment is critical given the construction and real estate boom of the country¹⁴ and its impact on the environment¹⁵. Applying the CE principles in the built environment sector aims also to be exemplary for mainstreaming sustainability principles and for developing model approaches that can be adapted for other key sectors/ value chains of the Mauritian economy, like tourism, business process outsourcing, agrifood and sea product transformation. By applying the principles of the circular economy to the design of buildings, infrastructure and other elements of the built environment, Mauritius can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while creating urban areas that are more liveable, productive and convenient. Circular economy principles will reduce CO2 emissions from building materials by reducing demand for steel, aluminium, cement, and plastic. It could also make the sector more resilient to supply chain disruptions and price volatility of raw materials¹⁶."}, {"bbox": [97, 1249, 1134, 1437], "category": "Text", "text": "Under the recently updated National Waste Management Strategy and Action Plan, priority actions of the SWM Division included the preparation of a new Waste Management and Resource Recovery Act (issued in 2023) bringing hazardous waste management and EPR principles on the agenda. The proposed Environmental Bill (discussed in Parliament as Bill No. 1 of 2024) aims to modernize the legislative framework with a view to ensuring better environmental protection, management and conservation (through e.g., environmental monitoring/ evaluation, environmentally sensitive areas inventory and maps, mainstreaming environmental considerations into planning and budgeting, plastic-free Mauritius)."}, {"bbox": [87, 1491, 685, 1511], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹¹ First Circular Platform meetings have been held, TORs have been agreed in April 2024."}, {"bbox": [87, 1511, 1143, 1551], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹² Business Mauritius is an independent association that represents over 1200 local businesses. It stems from the merger, in October 2015, of two business associations (Mauritius Employers Federation and the Joint Economic Council)."}, {"bbox": [87, 1550, 1105, 1589], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹³ Business Mauritius/UNDP (2021): Optimising private sector investment in-Mauritius https://www.undp.org/mauritius-seychelles/publications/circular-economy-optimising-private-sector-investment-mauritius"}, {"bbox": [87, 1588, 655, 1608], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹⁴ Trading Economics https://tradingeconomics.com/mauritius/gdp-from-construction"}, {"bbox": [87, 1608, 962, 1628], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹⁵ Romain, B. (2023): Promoting sustainable construction for a resilient Mauritius. Eco-Mauritius Website on Sustainable Buildings"}, {"bbox": [87, 1627, 817, 1646], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹⁶ Ellen MacArthur Foundation https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/built-environment/overview"}, {"bbox": [1035, 1680, 1144, 1705], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 7 of 38"}]