“The Circular Economy Is Not a Luxury but a Necessity for Small Islands Like Mauritius”

Lisa Simrique Singh, UN Resident Coordinator in Mauritius and Seychelles

• “Currently, over 70% of fertilizers in Mauritius are imported – a heavy dependency that could be reduced through organic composting.”

• “The focus has been more on recycling, rather than addressing the entire product lifecycle, missing significant opportunities to optimize product lifespan efficiencies.”

• “If we look at the private sector – the motor of sustainable jobs – women are present. However, they are in a minority when it comes to decision-making roles such as CEOs and top executives.”

Mauritius faces a tough reality: nearly 75 per cent of its food is imported, making it highly vulnerable to external shocks. Even the 25 per cent produced locally is dependent on imported inputs such as seeds, fertilisers and technology. For Lisa Simrique Singh, UN Resident Coordinator in Mauritius and Seychelles, this highlights the urgent need for a more resilient economic model. Implementation, however, remains a challenge. “Institutions often lack the awareness, financial resources, and technical expertise to put policies into practice,” she says. “Moreover, stakeholders are working in silos, limiting the impact of otherwise promising initiatives. We need to capitalise on collective strengths rather than operating in isolation,” the UN Resident Coordinator states. 

A critical piece of the puzzle is financing. “The private sector must be brought on board, but it will only invest if the sector is de-risked and there are clear incentives for combining profit with ESG considerations,” Lisa Singh notes.

She also sees a potential turning point in government policy. “The new five-year government programme emphasises Mauritius’ role in regional and global diplomacy,” she says. “If the country takes a leadership role in championing SIDS issues – climate finance, adaptation, technology access, and investment – it could help build a robust circular economy ecosystem.”

On gender equality, Lisa Singh says that a shift in attitudes is required. “When men take up the banner for women’s empowerment without being asked to, that’s when we know we are making real strides,” she says. “We cannot occupy a chair if somebody does not make a place for us.”

Editor-In-Chief: Rudy Veeramundar | Photography: Manoj Nawoor

Given the unique vulnerabilities of small island states, how can the circular economy model help mitigate the effects of climate change while promoting economic resilience?

To answer that, we need to understand what circular economy truly entails, as many people interpret it differently. A common misconception is that it is solely about waste management. In reality, it is a holistic approach to sustainability, and is equally applicable to major sectors such as transport, agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, etc. The circular economy aligns closely with a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12: responsible consumption and production. It focuses on optimizing resource efficiency, resource use, and resource productivity, while contributing to economic diversification, job creation, and national resilience.

Unlike the traditional linear economic model, where resources are extracted, used, and then discarded, circular economy is designed to minimize waste and expand product lifespan from the outset. This begins at the design phase, ensuring that waste reduction is integrated into production processes. During the usage phase, products and materials are designed for multiple uses, extending their lifecycle. The focus is not just on conservation, but also on the sustainable management of ecosystems and fostering strategic partnerships that enhance environmental and economic resilience.

Small island states face significant vulnerabilities due to their limited natural resources and high dependency on imports. In Mauritius, approximately 75% of the country’s food is imported, highlighting a high exposure to external markets. Even the 25% of food produced locally is dependent on imported inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, and technology, further increasing risks of global supply chain disruptions and price fluctuations. In addition to food, strategic resources like fuel and fertilizers are also imported in large quantities, making the economy highly vulnerable to external shocks.

For small island countries like Mauritius, circular economy is not a luxury – it is a necessity. By recycling, reusing, and repurposing materials, Mauritius can reduce its reliance on imported raw materials and shift toward a more self-sufficient economic model. More importantly, it can build long-term climate resilience, turning vulnerabilities into opportunities, while safeguarding their ecosystems and securing long-term growth.

The circular economy also plays a fundamental role in reshaping economic models for diversification. In the tourism sector, sustainable practices such as using locally sourced materials, reducing plastic waste, and repurposing resources can contribute to capturing and enhancing value chains. Similarly, in agriculture, bio-based solutions and regenerative farming techniques can enhance sustainable food systems. The transport sector, too, can benefit from a circular model through efficient resource use, material repurposing, and alternative fuels, which contribute to reducing environmental impacts while ensuring long-term sustainability.

Linked to economic diversification, the circular economy also fosters job creation and innovation. At each stage of the value chain, new employment opportunities arise, whether in waste collection and recycling, sustainable product design, branding, or repair industries. Encouraging innovation in areas like sustainable packaging, green technologies, and renewable energy solutions can further stimulate economic growth while ensuring environmental sustainability. The model encourages a shift toward a knowledge-based and technology-driven economy where AI, block chain, STEM and other creative solutions emerge to optimize resource use and skill sets while minimizing environmental degradation. Of course, these presuppose that the country is ready, is applying strategic foresight in planning ahead, and is investing, now, to include the necessary human capital, skill sets and infrastructure to benefit from the transformation.

Mauritius already has a historical foundation whereby in earlier times, primarily agrarian economies naturally embedded circular economy in their daily lives.

 

According to your assessment, is the concept of circular economy well understood here?  

Interestingly, Mauritius already has a historical foundation whereby in earlier times, primarily agrarian economies naturally embedded circular economy in their daily lives. People produced and sourced locally, recycled and repurposed, using practices like local composting. But modern consumption patterns and busy urban-centric lifestyles have changed these. Nonetheless, there is growing understanding and interest in the area. We have seen legislative measures such as the ban on plastic bags, as well as single-use plastics, in 2020. However, the focus has been more on recycling, rather than addressing the entire product lifecycle, missing significant opportunities to optimize product lifespan efficiencies. In addition, we stumble on implementation, as institutions lack the necessary awareness, financial resources, and technical expertise to implement these policies efficiently. We need to address these.

Consumer demand should also serve as headlight areas for producers and businesses. For instance, the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) introduced an eco-labelling scheme for tourism operators, but as I understand, the uptake was not as expected. This suggests that many businesses may need further sensitization on eco-labelling and branding as marketing assets.

Furthermore, collaboration among different stakeholders is essential. The government can create an enabling ecosystem, but it cannot single-handedly drive the transition to a circular economy. Regional cooperation also presents an opportunity for promoting circularity, particularly given the small market size, including possibly tapping into regional value chains.

We have discussed the present limitations. How should we progress from this situation?

I can share some insights from the UN’s perspective. We have been working closely with the government in Mauritius and across the region to support policy formulation and institutional capacity-building. Here in Mauritius, one key milestone was the launch of the Circular Economy Roadmap. This initiative, with the technical and financial support of the UN, was developed through an extensive consultative process involving the private sector, civil society and academia. It outlines key priority areas, including real estate, transport, consumer goods, agriculture, and tourism. These sectors present significant opportunities for advancing circular economy principles.

However, efforts remain fragmented. Institutions and stakeholders are working in silos, preventing the full realization of natural synergies. We are not capitalizing on collective strengths and shared resources. This lack of coordination limits the impact of otherwise promising initiatives.

Additionally, from a financing perspective, we need the private sector to come on board. But they will only do so if the sector is de-risked, with incentives for combining profit with ESG considerations.

How do you assess the awareness of the circular economy in the private sector, and its ambition in that respect?

In our interactions with private sector entities, Business Mauritius and the UN Global Compact – which has established its first Indian Ocean network in Africa, and comprises of entities such as CIEL, Rogers Accor, MCB, PWC etc. – it is clear that the private sector’s appetite for ESG is growing, with companies having ESG-related KPIs. This is driven not just by a sense of corporate responsibility, but also by market forces, as consumers, beneficiaries, and stakeholders increasingly expect businesses to embed sustainability principles into their core strategies.

The shift toward sustainability and circular economy principles is also evident in the labour market, where companies are adopting ethical values, environmental criteria, ESG standards, anti-corruption measures, and human rights policies. The awareness and demand for circularity are already present, but what needs to be strengthened is a more structured public-private partnership to establish a consultative and jointly owned approach. This would ensure that all stakeholders’ voices are heard, and that businesses receive the necessary support to integrate sustainability into their operations.

The private sector, which is the main motor of investments and job creation, has to drive this – particularly in the context of Mauritius, where over 90% of private businesses are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). At the same time, we must recognize that implementation requires financing, technology, and expertise. They need structured support, and the process cannot simply be prescriptive. Instead, they must be accompanied through policies, incentives, and capacity-building initiatives.

Institutions and stakeholders are working in silos, preventing the full realization of natural synergies. 

 

Frankly, Mauritius, as one of the top ranked African economies in many indicators (economic, democratic, business), has a lot of great experiences to share with the rest of the continent and other SIDS. Mauritius should use South-South knowledge-sharing platforms to exchange best practices with its regional and global peers. The new 5-year government programme emphasizes positioning Mauritius in regional and global diplomacy, and we hope this will enable Mauritius to take a leadership role in championing SIDS issues of climate finance, adaptation, technology access and investments, which are all important for a robust circular economy ecosystem.

How does the UN support Mauritius in transitioning towards a circular economy, and what initiatives are currently in place?

Supporting green, low emission pathways is a strategic area of the UN’s work globally, and here in Mauritius. There are many active and past engagements by the UN to align itself and support Mauritius in the areas of sustainable pathways, national resilience and green economic growth.

A few notable ones I can cite are the following:

The last Nationally Determined Contribution Report of Mauritius was finalized with the support of the UN. The NDCS are at the heart of the Paris Agreement and reflect collective global ambition to reduce global warming to 1.5 degrees, while outlining the ambition of each member country to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The action plan has much potential for looking at circularity.

In 2023, we technically supported the formulation of the national Circular Economy Roadmap via the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The roadmap was designed collaboratively, ensuring that the interests of government, private sector, and civil society were fully incorporated. More generally, we have regional and global specialized experts who regularly support Mauritius, and various domains comprising 24 UN agencies. Our primary role is in technical assistance, capacity-building, training, legislative assistance, and policy formulation, similar to what we did with the roadmap.

Beyond governance, the financing aspect of the circular economy is crucial. In 2022, the UNDP launched the SDG Investor Map, an intelligence tool that helps businesses align profitability with SDGs and ESG goals. This tool highlights 17 key investment opportunities that allow companies to generate profit while advancing sustainability initiatives. The initiative was launched in collaboration with the Economic Development Board (EDB) in late 2022.

Another significant initiative is the Global Plastic Initiative, which Mauritius is part of. The Western Indian Ocean is the second-most polluted ocean in the world after the North Pacific. Each year, 15 million tons of plastic waste enter the ocean, resulting in one trillion microplastic particles contaminating the food chain. To address this, we organized a training workshop in January for tourism operators on adopting circular economy practices to minimize waste. This is particularly relevant for Mauritius, where waste management remains a major challenge.

Beyond governance, the financing aspect of the circular economy is crucial.

 

Where does most of this waste come from?

Since Mauritius shares an ocean with other nations, waste is a collective responsibility. All coastal countries contribute to marine pollution. However, if we focus on inland plastic waste, much of it originates locally, particularly from plastic bottles and single-use, non-biodegradable consumer items.

Shifting consumer mindsets is essential. Simple steps like serving filtered water in glasses instead of plastic bottles in meetings can collectively have a significant impact. Waste management also extends to organic waste. Currently, over 70% of fertilizers in Mauritius are imported – a heavy dependency that could be reduced through organic composting. Shifting toward local composting practices could create new economic opportunities, generate jobs, and establish sustainable local markets. Innovation and R&D investments are crucial in this transition, and stronger collaboration with universities and academia is needed.

What role do international partnerships and funding mechanisms play in this transition?

For the Circular Economy Roadmap, the estimated cost for Mauritius was USD $26 million, just for the soft components, excluding infrastructure investments. In Rodrigues, the Rodrigues Regional Assembly aims to position the island as an eco-destination, and its roadmap component was costed at $3 million. However, when factoring in infrastructure, digital integration, and technology investments, financial requirements will be significantly higher.

This is why circular economy initiatives must be embedded in broader national and economic strategies, rather than treated as standalone initiatives. This approach enables a whole-of-society outlook and cross-sector planning, and ensures integrated budgeting and funding mobilization.

Any final thoughts to close this interview, particularly in the context of International Women’s Day?

I wish every single Mauritian a very happy International Women’s Day. In fact, every single day should be considered an International Women’s Day. Investing in women, empowering them, amplifying their voice, capturing their paid and unpaid contributions and participation, and encouraging more leadership in decision-making space makes excellent economic, social, environmental and political sense.

Despite Mauritius’ status as a prolific, top economic achiever in Africa, women’s participation, voice and engagement across the board need to be ramped up. If we look at the private sector – the motor of sustainable jobs – women are present. However, they are in a minority when it comes to decision-making roles such as CEOs and top executives. There are nonetheless inspiring female leaders who are already serving as mentors and change managers in this domain, but they need greater visibility to inspire the next generation and to amplify their impact. At the UN, we have been investing in a coalition of women entrepreneurs, supported the set-up of gender caucus, south-south exchanges of female parliamentarians and working with the academic sector to promote girls in Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) forums. These initiatives help encourage and equip the next generation of women to think big, think bold, and step into leadership positions.

In the public sector, there are a notable number of women at the Permanent Secretary (PS) level. We hope to equally see more female ministers in the government.

Violence against women remains a societal taint that requires urgent attention. It is amplified by increasing online violence, with the risk of youth and girls also being exposed to the drug menace. With the Beijing Declaration’s 30th anniversary coming up, it’s clear that gender equality cannot be achieved by focusing only on women – we must bring men actively and systematically into the conversation.

In the public sector, there are a notable number of women at the Permanent Secretary (PS) level. We hope to equally see more female ministers in the government. 

 

This is where positive masculinity plays a crucial role. When men become allies and advocates for gender equality, real progress is made. I often say that when men take up the banner for women’s empowerment without being asked too, we know we are making real strides forward.

I recall an experience from my time as Head of UNDP in West Africa. In preparation for March 8, International Women’s Day, my office colleagues – all women – were preparing to march, as was the tradition. In West Africa, women wear a custom-made African print fabric, or ‘kitenge’, stitch it into a uniform, and march together to celebrate the day. That year, I challenged my team: “Why are only women marching? Where are the men to take the lead and march for women instead?” It was a moment of reflection because gender equality should not be a struggle for women alone. The fact that this is the first indicator to regress every time there is a shock – we saw that during COVID, and we are seeing that now with the regressing SDG 5, which is about gender equality – means that we need to address deep structural biases rooted in history, culture and mindsets. We require men to step forward as allies, champions and change agents. We cannot occupy a chair if somebody does not make a place for us. It’s as simple and as complicated as that.

I encourage all girls to think big, aim high and join your voices, because together, you will roar. Together, there is no glass ceiling that you cannot break.