Gilbert Rochecouste is on holiday in his native country. But he could not help it. As a passionate for the environment and a lover of his native island, he had to share his vision of the difficulties the whole world is facing and more importantly what he has learnt from his training in Australia with former US vice-president, Al Gore. So Gilbert is seizing the opportunity of his visit here to share his enthusiasm and convictions that ?we can all make a difference?.

If Gilbert is so anxious about making sure Mauritius adopts the right policies now, it is because he is still so attached to the island. ?I get so emotional each time I come to Mauritius.? Although he left for Australia when he was only five years old, Gilbert still keeps special memories of the island and the time spent with his family here. The helicopters of the British army, the pig that died and made him so sad or the siesta time of his parents are some of his souvenirs of Mauritius.

He feels his Mauritian roots especially when he holds public talks on environmental issues in Australia. ?I bring my drum and sing and dance with the people of the community? And that makes my message get across more easily.? He has kept a rosy image of Mauritius, a place of ?joy and enchantment? for him.

This is why he was so sad when he realised, as he went snorkelling yesterday in Trou-aux-Biches, how different it was compared to 15 years ago. ?Corals have almost no colour anymore. What makes Mauritius so special for many tourists is its greenery, beaches and sea. We should protect what we?ve got already.?

If Gilbert has always been aware of environmental issues, he has not always been so involved in the issue. His trips overseas while he was managing Australia?s largest shopping centre in Melbourne were the trigger. ?When I saw poverty in the US, supposed to be the world?s wealthiest countries, I started to put the whole system into question. I felt there was something wrong.?

And then, he lived a ?unique experience?, which led him to change track and work towards a sustainable future. ?There had been a huge thunderstorm in Melbourne. As soon as the sky started to become clearer, twenty dolphins appeared and swam with me.? This experience had such an impact on Gilbert that he resigned the day after feeling that he could do something. It was not really a revelation that came overnight, ?I think I was already prepared.?

So, he set up his own company, Village Well, ?a progressive communication and cultural development organisation?. His experience spans over 20 years working with hundred different communities and thousands of businesses on how to create a more liveable sustainable environment.

More recently, he was among the 80 people chosen from among 3,000 applicants for training byAl Gore to become climate leaders. ?I suppose I have been chosen because I showed my passion for the field and also because I am well-networked in the retail industry so I could open some doors.?

Gilbert lived a unique experience which led him to change track and work towards a sustainable future. After a thunderstorm, as the sky started to become clearer, twenty dolphins appeared and swam with him. This experience had such an impact on him that he resigned the next day.

So his main job now is public speaking, writing and working with developers to try and minimise the impact of climate change in Australia and worldwide so as to avoid the worst. ?People are not hard to convince. They know what is happening. They just need to be mobilised. Civic participation is vital for a change to occur.?

With this in mind, he is holding a workshop at Octave Wiehé Auditorium on 9th August where the local community, businesses as well as the government are expected to be represented. ?Without the mobilisation of every stakeholder, there is no chance of achieving any results. Mauritius has not reached the tipping point yet and can manage to save its beauty. All you need is the political will and a contribution from the business sector,? recommends Gilbert.

An effort to provide more decent public transport is only one example of a significant shift for more sustainable development. Likewise, in Australia, shopping is energy efficient, water efficient and recycles its own waste.

If the community and businesses become aware of the real problems and mobilise for change, then the government will be bound to take action. ?Sustainable development will not be an option in the future, and businesses that take the lead in conjunction with government will find that economically, environmentally and socially sustainable development will reap rewards by creating self-sufficient, healthy communities,? comments Gilbert Rochecouste. The workshop on the 9th is organised by the Otayo network.