Republic of Mauritius- Energy efficient measures are to be adopted in the face of climate change, says Acting Prime Minister

At the outset, Mr Collendavelloo expressed his satisfaction with regard to the 116 countries that have voted for Mauritius, yesterday, at the UN Assembly on the sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago and highlighted that it is a victory for both Mauritius and the African countries in this decolonisation process.  

Speaking on the importance of renewable energy, Mr Ivan Collendavelloo pointed out that every year a huge amount of money is spent for the importation of petroleum products and emphasised the need to rely less on fossil fuels and use more renewable sources of energy. On this score, he stated that several measures are being implemented with a view to increase energy efficiency in the country.

He indicated that 1 000 households have benefitted from the installation of solar photovoltaic systems on rooftops while adding that 10 000 households, under the Social Register of Mauritius will benefit from the solar photovoltaic systems as part of Government’s efforts to alleviate poverty and thus contribute to achieving renewable electricity.

Referring to the energy efficiency competitions, the Acting Prime Minister highlighted that the aim is to promote the use of energy efficient appliances as well as raise awareness of energy users to avoid energy wastage so as to combat climate change through the mitigation of greenhouse gas emission.

He appealed to the youth to become more informed about energy efficiency and encouraged them to act as ambassadors for conveying the useful message to their parents so that there is a behavioural change with regard to protecting the environment. He expressed confidence that the youth will be able to set the example and change the mindset of the population.

For his part, the Chairman of the Energy Efficiency Management Office (EEMO), Mr Kendall Tang, stated that energy is an indispensable factor for the economic growth of a country and highlighted that the EEMO has as objectives to create and maintain an energy efficient culture in the country. He added that electrical cars and energy efficient lightings are some of the factors in line to improving energy efficiency.

The competitions

The two competitions provided students with an opportunity to showcase their understanding of energy efficiency and energy saving, investigate related issues and propose solutions.

Primary School students of Grade 1 to 6 from both public and private schools, took part in the competition based on the theme ‘Energy Efficient Lighting’. The first prize winner was from the St Jean-Baptiste de la Salle R.C.A who received a cash prize of Rs 10,000, a trophy and a certificate.

Secondary School students of Group 1 (Grades 7 to 10) and Group 2 (Grades 11 to 13) took part in the Energy Champion Competition. The students of Grade 8 from the Hamilton College Boys were the first prize winner of Group 1, receiving a cash prize of Rs 20,000, a trophy and a certificate.

The first prize winner for Group 2 were the boys from Sir Leckraz Teelock State Secondary School who were awarded a cash prize of Rs 25 000, a trophy and a certificate.