In an effort to promote and improve industrial resource efficiency and make production more environmentally friendly, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is initiating a Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) programme in Mauritius.

The programme, which will be funded by the Government of Mauritius through the Maurice Ile Durable Fund (MIDF) and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Consumer Protection, will target the food processing, textile, chemicals and light engineering sectors in Mauritius.

These sectors were chosen based on their current and anticipated contributions to the economy of Mauritius, as well as their potential for job creation and development of medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and their significant resource and pollution footprints.

LI Yong, the Director General of UNIDO said the RECP programme in Mauritius will help improve the resource productivity and environmental performance of the island nation’s small and medium-sized enterprises and thereby contribute to inclusive and sustainable industrial development.

“Industries in developing countries and in countries with transition economies have significant potential to reduce the raw material, energy, and water consumption of their industries and SMEs, and, in doing so, contribute to the reduction of negative environmental impacts.”

He added that the adoption of resource-efficient practices will lead to a lessening of the overall ecological footprint and at the same time improve productivity and competitiveness. The combined reduction of resource use and increase in competitiveness is essential for reaching the goal of decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation.

In 1994, UNIDO, in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), launched a joint initiative to establish National Cleaner Production Centres in developing countries and in countries with economies in transition. In 2009, UNIDO and UNEP launched the joint Programme on Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) which focuses on improving resource efficiency and the environmental performance of businesses and other organisations through scaling up and mainstreaming the application of RECP methods, techniques and policies.