🌿 TOP Environment Policy: Protecting Our Island, Empowering Our People
Mauritius is not just land — it is home, heritage, and hope. As a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), we are on the frontline of climate change. Rising sea levels, deadly flash floods, and more intense cyclones threaten our communities, our economy, and our very future.
TOP – Together Our People commits to an ambitious and urgent environmental agenda to safeguard our island, build resilience, and transition to a green economy that serves both people and planet.
1. Declare a Climate Emergency and Act Now
- TOP will officially recognize climate change as a national emergency and integrate climate risk management into every level of government planning.
- Create a National Climate Resilience Council to coordinate rapid response, resource mobilization, and disaster preparedness.
2. Strengthen Disaster Preparedness and Flood Protection
- Invest in climate-resilient infrastructure, including upgraded drainage systems, retention basins, and safe shelter zones in vulnerable regions.
- Launch a Flood Response Task Force in partnership with local authorities and communities to manage early warning systems, evacuation plans, and relief logistics.
- Prioritize coastal zone reinforcement, especially in regions exposed to erosion and surges.
3. Green Mauritius: A Clean and Renewable Island
- Transition to 100% renewable energy by 2040, with clear timelines for phasing out coal and fossil fuels.
- Provide incentives for households and businesses to adopt solar, wind, and waste-to-energy systems.
- Establish Green Energy Zones and promote investment in clean tech and energy innovation.
4. Protect Forests, Oceans, and Biodiversity
- Implement a “One Island, One Forest” campaign: restore and protect native forests, especially in upland and watershed areas.
- Expand marine protected areas to safeguard coral reefs, lagoons, and fisheries from overexploitation and pollution.
- Crack down on illegal sand mining, deforestation, and unregulated construction that threaten ecosystems.
5. Empower Communities for Climate Action
- Promote community-led conservation, tree-planting, waste collection, and coastal clean-up programmes with funding and technical support.
- Introduce Green Youth Corps to involve young people in sustainability initiatives, environmental entrepreneurship, and climate advocacy.
- Support eco-villages and green housing projects in rural and urban areas with climate-smart design.
6. Zero Waste and Circular Economy
- Introduce strict regulations on plastic production and usage, and fast-track alternatives to single-use plastics.
- Promote waste separation at source, recycling, and composting through municipal incentives and awareness campaigns.
- Encourage businesses to adopt circular economy models that reduce environmental footprint and create green jobs.
7. Mainstream Environmental Education
- Make climate literacy and environmental protection a core part of the school curriculum.
- Support local research institutions in developing climate adaptation technologies and traditional ecological knowledge.
🌏 Our Island. Our Responsibility. Our Future.
TOP’s vision is clear: to make Mauritius the most climate-resilient and ecologically responsible island nation in the Indian Ocean. We owe it to our children to act decisively. Together Our People will lead the way — because if we protect our island, we protect our people.
