A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), aiming to promote collaborative research on issues pertaining to climate change in respect of the land and transport sector, was signed, yesterday, between the Ministry of Land Transport and Light Rail and the Université des Mascareignes (UDM), at the United Docks Business Park in Port Louis.
The Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Mr Alan Ganoo, and the Director General of the UDM, Dr Radhakrishna Somanah, were present on the occasion.
Minister Ganoo highlighted that climate change needed to be addressed with urgency as it was an existential threat to humanity. He stressed the importance of implementing bold solutions to tackle and reverse global warming. He recalled that at the COP-26 Summit in November 2021 at Glasgow, the Prime Minister pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by the end of this decade.
"The Land Transport Sector," he stated, "is one among the largest emitters of greenhouse gas emissions in Mauritius, accounting for some 28% of overall emissions." "It is, therefore, imperative that we strengthen our capability to reverse the increasing level of emissions," he said, adding that the MOU would serve as a basis for a mutual collaboration between academia and public organisations involved in the planning and operation of transport services.
He lauded the UDM for setting up a Sustainability and Climate Change Department and indicated that it was opportune for the Ministry to tap into the expertise of the UDM with a view to reinforcing the capabilities and competencies of officers, especially those involved in devising land transport solutions. "The signature of the MoU," he stressed, "will endorse the objective of the Ministry to decarbonise the land transport sector with the operationalisation of electric vehicles and by promoting a green and sustainable public transport."
Minister Ganoo pointed out that Government had introduced several measures to accelerate the shift to electric vehicles through various fiscal incentives with the avowed aim of reducing the upfront investment required for the acquisition of electric vehicles. "We are continuously modernising the land transport sector to promote the uptake of public transportation such as buses and light rail, and to tackle congestion and noxious emissions resulting from the use of private motorised transport during peak time," he said.
Moreover, he underlined that the MOU would include a component on the formulation of appropriate responses for adaptation as there was a dire need to develop a thorough understanding as to the impacts of extreme events on the transport system. According to him, it would also include vulnerability assessment and modelling in order to fully gauge the impacts of climate change on transport and to allow for meaningful approaches towards addressing these issues. "The Ministry," he added, "will then be in a better position to shape up appropriate responses to reducing the carbon footprint for the land transport sector, in addition to implementing adaptive measures to cope with the impacts of climate change."
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As for Dr Somanah, he affirmed that the signing of the MoU came at a pivotal moment in the joint commitment to fostering sustainable development and addressing environmental issues. He was of the view that such collaboration was essential for identifying mitigation solutions and devising appropriate implementation plan.
He further highlighted the primary objective of the UDM to conduct high quality research related to climate change in view to support policy and decision making. Dr Somanah also expressed satisfaction as regards the willingness of Government to leverage the assistance of academia for devising solutions and benchmarking best practices.
