Keynote Address by the Honourable Minister for Natural Resources, Environment and Lands – Toeolesulusulu Cedric Pose Salesa Schuster at the Launching of Our Future is Now Initiative.

SAMOA, July 16 - 15 July 2024 10am STA Fale

 Lau Susuga i le Taitai o le Sauniga,

 Members of the Diplomatic Corp

 Members of the Samoa Recycling Waste Management Association, Samoa Conservation Society and Samoa Association of Women Growers,

 Representatives of Youth Groups joining us today,

 Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen

E viia le Atua e faavavau, auā o lana pule tonu, ua mafua ai ona tuta i fanua le vaatele i le paia ma le mamalu, ua ee ma pāpā ao, i Matagialalua o le malae na utu ai le faatauäpai o Tupu o Samoa.

Ua fotupule, ai nei le faiva o tama, ae atue le tautai o le igafo. Auā ua atoa i tagi ou mamalu faaletalalelei, o ou paia faale Malo, ma ou maualuga faale Atunuu. Nuunuu atu ia i le Aufueta latou te

gafataulimaina.

Ua toliua se lagona i lenei taeao āfua, e faafetaia ai le tofa faamaite

mea lelei i le SWRMA i lo latou moe manatunatu i le faatauaina, o le

malu puipuia ma le faamatagofieina o lo tatou siosiomaga ma

laufanua mai otaota ma lapisi, lenei ua fai faafitauli, e le gata i

tafaala, ao tuamaota ma totonu o afioaga ma alalafaga, aemaise

aoga.

O le Poloketi taua ua galulue ai le SWRMA, Sosaiete Faasao a Samoa, Samoa Womens Growers ma nisi tupulaga talavou, e ala i lo outou pulupulu lima faatasi ma soosoo tauau e saga tapue i galuega faatino, aemaise ole tātā logo a Masefau I le Atunuu lautele, mo le vaaia lelei o lo tatou siosiomaga, e momoli atu ai le fa’amalo a le tatou malo ona o lo outou saili ua maua ai nei fesoasoani taua.

O lo outou fita-i-tuga mo se manuia o Samoa, e le pau fua, o galuega o le asō, e malu ai lalotao, ma soo ai taiao, i le lumanai o Samoa mo a taeao, ma tupulaga o le lumanai. Ia manatua le auau o lenei aso. “O LE LUMANA’I, O LE ASŌ.”

1. In the last 50 years, global use of materials has more than

quadrupled from 28.6 billion tonnes to between 170 and 184

billion tonnes in 2050.

2. This rapid acceleration of consumption where over 90% of all

materials extracted and used are wasted, and only 8.6% of

materials make it back into the economy, is a real threat to the

planet’s future and consequently humans and the environment.

3. It has been noted that small island developing states including

Samoa, only account for just 1.56% of the global mismanaged

plastic waste volume, but at the national level the average waste

generation per person in SIDS of 2.3kg per day is 48% higher than

the world’s average.

4. For Samoa, government is spending so much of our budget, to

collect, and dispose of the accumulated waste in country, let

alone clean-up programs in schools, villages and nationally. These

resources can be utilised for other national economic development issues if waste can be managed at the source, by disposing them properly, recycling and reusing them appropriately.

5. So it is refreshing to see NGOs and the community stepping up to source financial support and partner with other groups to also

assist in our efforts to reduce waste around the country.

6. Today SRWMA, working together and in partnership with Samoa

Conservation Society, Samoa Association of Women Growers and

ten Youth Groups, are launching the “OUR FUTURE IS NOW”

project in commemoration of “World Youth Skills Day.”

7. This initiative supports environmentally conscious projects and

continue to promote awareness on climate adaptation. And in

doing so, you have achieved a first in Samoa in forming an

environmental youth group from 10 different communities that

consists of 385 youth members, who will all advocate on Waste

Management issues in Samoa.

8. I understand there will also be school recycling competitions

involving 20 schools, as well as river clean-ups and river

conservation, promotion of the 4 Rs and Plastic free green

markets, particularly engaging our farmers, market vendors and

consumers in addressing overuse of plastics. As well as promotion

of waste reduction, sustainable and conservation practices, which

are all aiming for a positive impact on our communities and to our

country.

9. For this I heartily congratulate SRWMA, SCS, SAWG and all of

Samoa’s young people actively engaged and participating in this

innovative initiative, for your relentless commitment and drive in

tackling waste management issues for the betterment of our

country’s environment and health

10. I also acknowledge with gratitude the European Union’s

generous funding of 90% of the total cost of the Our Future is

Now initiative which amounts to $939,253.30 SAT ($327,048.00

Euros).

11. Our Government, especially the Waste Management Division of

the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, stands ready

to provide necessary support for this initiative in line with its

programs to:

a. integrate Circular Economy principles into national

strategies,

b. establish an Import Waste Levy to fund recycling efforts

and thus supporting collaboration between government,

private sector, and civil society for sustainable waste

management, as well as

c. Waste collection and roadside clean ups

12. With the launch of the Our Future is Now initiative we as

a nation shall progress more with our goal in effectively tackling

plastics pollution, which is one of the pressing triple planetary

crisis of our present time.

I wish the Our Future is Now project and everyone involved resounding success, and God Bless.

Soifua ma ia Manuia

SOURCE – Office of the Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Tourism: Samoa

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