Greening the Public Sector
Making Mauritius greener and more sustainable is high on the priority list of the Government of Mauritius, as stated in the Government Programme 2020-2024. Our very own, Tony Lee Luen Len has been appointed for the mammoth task of 'Greening of the Public Sector. The work consists of a situational analysis (including carbon footprint calculations), the development of a green charter, an action and implementation plan, the setting up of institutional mechanisms and capacity building.
The goal is to help Mauritius achieve resilient, inclusive, and sustainable growth based on cleaner, greener, more sustainable, low-emission, and climate-resilient development.
The public sector in Mauritius provides goods and services to its citizens. Consequently, it uses significant resources and generates waste. It is estimated that public procurement expenditure in Mauritius accounted for 2.6% of GDP in 2019/2020.
The "Greening f the public sector" initiative represents a significant step forward in Mauritius' environmental transition to a cleaner and greener Mauritius. The primary goal is to reduce the public sector's carbon footprint and transition to a more ecological society.
The objectives set out for this project are as follows:
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Resource efficiency activities in the day-to-day operations;
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Efficient use of resources;
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Waste reduction, recycling, and paperless initiatives;
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Using sustainable technology and business practices, including sustainable procurement;
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Greening of workshops
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Utilisation of digital tools
The tasks for the project are:
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Assess the current gaps, challenges and requirements to green the public sector
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Determine the ecological footprint in terms of carbon footprint for the five pilot organisations
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Formulate an action plan to operationalise the identified work areas and activities
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Formulate a charter comprising guidelines to implement green practices in the public sector
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Formulate a monitoring and evaluation framework for the greening activities put in place
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Advise on the institutional mechanism that must be set up to secure organisational commitment for successful implementation of the project in the public sector
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Develop a training programme to build the capacity of public officers to perform and deliver service in sustainably as well as carry out the training
Five levers shall be considered for the study:
a) Supply chain and procurement
b) Buildings and infrastructure
c) Mobility and fleets
d) Culture and behaviour
e) Digital transformation
The assignment is through a technical assistance provided by the SWITCH to Green Facility on behalf of the EU Delegation to Mauritius and the European Commission Directorate General for International Partnerships.
The Switch to Green facility project is led by the consortium making up of Adelphi, Cowi and Living prospects
Access the Final Reports:
1) Institutional Mechanism - Terms of Reference
2) Action and Implementation plan