Digital Twin Governance

The core problem I am addressing is enabling effective planning, implementation and governance of Mauritius' climate change mitigation and low-carbon development strategies.

As a small island developing state, Mauritius faces existential threats from climate change impacts like sea level rise, extreme weather events and ecosystem losses. The country has committed to reducing emissions across sectors like energy and transportation under the Paris Agreement. However, widescale low-carbon transitions require:

• Integrated modeling and analysis of mitigation pathways tailored to the local context.
• Mechanisms to localize and apply global climate research.
• Coordination between government, private sector and communities on climate action.
• Building capacity to assess, finance and deploy clean technologies.

My digital twin governance platform powered by the Ino24 sustainable development framework, climate/energy research, and stakeholder inputs aims to address these gaps. It provides an advanced simulation tool to systematically evaluate low-carbon options, guide strategic climate policy and investment decisions, boost public engagement, and ultimately drive high-impact mitigation and resilience-building measures.

With small islands at the frontline of climate vulnerability, this locally-relevant yet scalable solution holds potential for unlocking pragmatic climate action aligned to global goals like the Paris Agreement across other island contexts facing similar threats.

My solution is a digital twin governance platform that creates a virtual simulation model of Mauritius' economic, environmental and social systems by integrating data from:

1) The Ino24 sustainable development framework

2) Global climate/clean tech research

3) Stakeholder inputs via participatory processes

Using advanced modeling, analytics and machine learning, the digital twin allows for:

- Mapping climate risks and modeling emission scenarios

- Evaluating low-carbon technology options

- Assessing socio-economic impacts of mitigation policies

- Identifying high-impact climate solutions tailored to Mauritius

This drives an integrated governance framework for evidence-based policymaking, investment prioritization and coordinated implementation of transformative mitigation and resilience strategies.

The platform leverages technologies like IoT, AI, big data and immersive visualization to enable real-time monitoring, stakeholder engagement and collective alignment around a cohesive national climate action plan.

In essence, it's a locally-grounded yet globally-connected digital toolbox powering Mauritius' strategic low-carbon transition and sustainable development.

My digital twin governance platform serves the entire population of Mauritius by enabling a coordinated, evidence-based national strategy for climate change mitigation and low-carbon development tailored to the local context.

The key target groups whose lives will be positively impacted include:

1) Vulnerable coastal communities at risk from sea level rise, flooding and ecosystem damage. The platform allows mapping of climate risks to guide resilience planning and green infrastructure investments that safeguard lives and livelihoods.

2) Low-income populations facing energy poverty and health impacts from fossil fuel pollution. Assessing clean energy options and modeling socio-economic benefits of low-carbon pathways can drive access to affordable, sustainable energy solutions.  

3) Youth and future generations inheriting escalating climate threats. The participatory approach engages youth in shaping mitigation strategies securing their long-term wellbeing and prosperity.

4) Policy makers lacking integrated decision-support tools for robust climate governance. Evidence-based policy analysis enabled by the platform ensures strategic policies and investments for an effective low-carbon transition.

5) Private sector needing clarity on low-emission market opportunities. Visibility into clean tech viability and green growth trajectories allows businesses to align investments and innovations.

Overall, the entire population of over 1.2 million Mauritians currently underserved by fragmented climate strategies will gain from a cohesive, locally-attuned and future-proof plan to slash emissions while achieving sustainable development priorities around energy access, green jobs, resilience and environmental justice.

My team and I are well-positioned to deliver this digital twin governance solution for Mauritius' climate mitigation strategies because of:

1.Deep community embeddedness and representation of target populations guiding design 
2.Multi-stakeholder composition aligned to participatory implementation approach
3.Technical expertise balancing global knowledge with localized contextual understanding

The core team consists of Mauritian nationals across government, private sector, academia and civil society organizations - directly representing the communities we aim to serve through climate-resilient development. 
As locals, we intimately understand on-the-ground realities, priorities and contexts that global climate solutions often overlook. Continuous grassroots engagement via the locally-driven LCOY movement and UN capacity building programs ensures the platform's design remains firmly rooted in community needs and local knowledge systems.
Our team also has the multi-disciplinary capabilities required for effective participatory climate governance spanning policymaking, sustainable business, social entrepreneurship, climate/environmental research and community mobilization.
With stakeholder diversity from youth leaders to private sector sustainability champions, we embody the unified, whole-of-society approach envisioned for the platform's implementation and socialization of climate strategies.

Simultaneously, strategic partnerships with renowned academic institutions and global knowledge partners provide vital access to cutting-edge climate science, technological expertise in digital twins/simulations and international best practices.
This localization of globally-informed solutions tailored to the Mauritian context is core to our value proposition and key competitive advantage over decontextualized, one-size-fits-all approaches that have failed to gain traction.

In essence, we leverage unmatched grassroots embeddedness and representation to ensure climate solutions are by the communities, of the communities and for the communities - enhancing transparency, ownership and sustainable impact.

1. Innovative Approach

The concept of using an integrated digital twin simulation model to holistically analyze and coordinate a nation's climate strategies across multiple sectors is a novel and cutting-edge approach. While digital twins are emerging in various industrial applications, applying it as a governance tool for public policy planning and stakeholder engagement on climate change mitigation pathways is highly innovative.

2. First-of-its-Kind Implementation
To my knowledge, there are no fully operational examples yet of a comprehensive national digital twin platform focused specifically on climate governance and low-carbon transition management. This solution would be one of the first real-world implementations of using virtual twins and advanced modeling for integrated climate policy analysis and coordination at a country-level scale.

3. Pilot for Addressing Key Gaps
The platform directly tackles several critical gaps in current climate mitigation efforts - lack of locally-relevant integrated assessment tools, insufficient translation of global climate knowledge to local contexts, fragmented policy/stakeholder alignment, and capacity constraints in evaluating clean technology options. Developing and piloting this solution can provide learnings to address these universal challenges.

4. Context for Scaling
While tailored for Mauritius initially, the participatory design process and fourth industrial revolution technologies utilized can be adapted and scaled to other small island contexts facing similar climate vulnerabilities. Prototyping and iterating the solution in Mauritius provides a real-world testbed for replicating and transferring the model globally.

5. Potential for Transformative Impact
If successful, this digital governance prototype could spark a paradigm shift in how climate mitigation policies and strategies are planned, implemented and coordinated through integrated digital platforms – catalyzing urgently needed transformations in line with global emissions reductions targets.

By supporting the development and piloting of this innovative solution as a prototype, the Solve initiative can play a catalytic role in demonstrating the value and scalability of digital twin climate governance approaches for driving high-impact climate action worldwide.

I am applying to the Solve program because it can help overcome several key barriers and provide invaluable support for successfully implementing and scaling my digital twin governance platform for climate change mitigation in Mauritius:

Funding and financial resource constraints
As a relatively small team operating in a developing small island context, we face funding gaps that limit our ability to fully build out the technology infrastructure, data integration pipelines, and human capital required to operationalize the digital twin platform at a national scale. Solve's potential to connect us with impact investors, donors and implementation partners could unlock the critical financial resources needed.

Access to cutting-edge knowledge and technical expertise  
While our local team has strong contextual understanding, we require access to the latest global knowledge in digital twin technology, climate/sustainability modeling, artificial intelligence and other advanced capabilities central to the platform. Solve's diverse cross-sector network could bridge these technical gaps through expert guidance and partnerships with leading institutions.

Partnerships for data acquisition and stakeholder engagement
Robust data integration is vital for the digital twin's accuracy - from scientific climate data sources to IoT sensor deployments across Mauritius. Solve's potential to facilitate partnerships with research bodies, technology providers and communities could strengthen our data pipelines. Similarly, strategic relationships enabled through Solve could bolster participatory processes ensuring representation of all stakeholder voices.

Policy advocacy and regulatory support
Operationalizing a national climate governance platform may require legal/regulatory reforms and guidance from policymakers to institutionalize its role. Solve's convening power could open doors to key government and multilateral stakeholders for securing enabling policies and overcoming bureaucratic hurdles.

Implementation pathways and scaling support
As a pilot project focused currently on Mauritius, one of our long-term goals is replicating and scaling the digital twin approach to other small island contexts facing similar climate vulnerabilities. Solve's solution partnership model could pave sustainable implementation pathways while facilitating knowledge exchange for effective solution transfer.

In essence, Solve's cross-sector convening ability, access to technical and financial resources, and focused support system could provide the catalytic boost required to transform our locally-grounded concept into a landmark climate solution demonstrating multiplicative global impact.

Novel Application of Digital Twin Technology While digital twins are gaining traction in sectors like manufacturing and urban planning, our solution pioneers a first-of-its-kind application of this cutting-edge technology for integrated climate policy analysis, planning and stakeholder engagement at the national level. Creating a virtual real-time replica of a country's socio-economic and environmental systems to systematically model and coordinate low-carbon transition pathways is a paradigm-shifting approach.

Integrated Climate Solutions Modeling Traditional climate mitigation efforts have been siloed, fragmented across different agencies, sectors and stakeholder groups. Our platform's power lies in its ability to holistically analyze and optimize climate solutions across energy, transportation, agriculture, waste and other domains through an integrated digital simulation. This systems-thinking lens catalyzes synergies and coherence missing from current strategies.

Contextual Localization and Participatory Approach Global climate models and research often struggle with translating recommendations into localized, contextually-relevant pathways. By combining indigenous knowledge systems, on-the-ground perspectives and the latest climate science, our community-driven digital twin platform facilitates groundle top-up and bottom-up alignment for mitigation solutions appropriately tailored to the unique Mauritian context and citizen priorities.

Data-Driven Climate Governance A key innovation is institutionalizing data-driven climate governance processes by consolidating multi-source data pipelines, IoT monitoring capabilities, AI/ML scenario modeling and predictive analytics into an integrated decision-support system. This evidence-based policymaking enables strategic prioritization of financing, policies and ground implementation of transformative mitigation investments.

Immersive Stakeholder Participation Beyond top-down climate planning, our platform leverages technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality and gamification to immerse all stakeholders - policymakers, businesses, researchers, civil society and the general public - in collectively shaping the national climate strategy. This democratized engagement model drives bottom-up ideation, buy-in and ownership.

Scalable Global Replicability While starting in Mauritius, our cloud-based platform architecture allows the digital governance model to be adapted and replicated across other small island developing states facing acute climate vulnerabilities. Best practices, data and modeling frameworks are designed for seamless international transfer and scaling of locally-tailored climate solutions.

In catalyzing this digitally-enabled transition toward collaborative, democratized and systems-focused climate governance, our solution could spark transformative shifts in howmitigation strategies are holistically designed, coordinated and implemented worldwide in response to the climate crisis.

Our digital twin governance platform aims to drive impactful climate change mitigation and low-carbon resilience in Mauritius through the following theory of change:

Activities:
- Develop integrated digital twin simulation model by consolidating data from Ino24 framework, climate research, IoT monitoring
- Deploy AI/machine learning to enable multi-parameter scenario modeling of mitigation pathways across sectors
- Facilitate multi-stakeholder inputs and participatory processes via LCOY, capacity building workshops 
- Leverage immersive visualization (AR/VR/gamification) for democratized engagement  

Outputs:
- Virtual real-time replica of Mauritius' environmental, economic and social systems
- Evidence-based analysis quantifying impacts of climate policies, technologies and transition roadmaps
- Coordinated national low-carbon strategy aligned across government, business, researchers and communities
- Prioritized portfolio of catalytic climate solutions and strategic investments  
- Enhanced climate literacy and bottom-up ownership among the public

Immediate Outcomes:
- Decisive implementation of high-impact mitigation actions to reduce emissions trajectory
- Strategic divestment from brown assets and scaling of clean energy, green transportation etc.
- Policy/regulatory reforms and financing mechanisms to incentivize low-carbon transition
- Private sector alignment of business models, innovation and entrepreneurship with climate priorities
- Increased public awareness and adoption of sustainable lifestyles and climate-resilient practices

Intermediate Outcomes:
- Measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions across major sectors 
- Expanded deployment of climate-resilient infrastructure and nature-based solutions
- Improved energy access and public health from reduced fossil fuel pollution
- New green job creation and enterprise opportunities in sustainable industries
- Climate-proofed economic growth and enhanced ecosystem conservation

Long-Term Impacts:
- Alignment with Mauritius' Nationally Determined Contributions and net zero targets
- Minimized climate change risks and improved resilience for communities
- Sustainable economic diversification and future-proofed prosperity 
- Attainment of UN Sustainable Development Goals on climate action, energy, innovation
- Demonstration of a replicable digital climate governance model for other SIDS

This holistic theory of change backed by integrated data, AI-driven modeling capabilities, diverse stakeholder inputs and real-time monitoring feedback loops can catalyze a decisive managed transition in Mauritius from climate vulnerability to resilient, low-emissions development.

Our overarching impact goal is to catalyze a decisive and sustainable low-carbon transition in Mauritius that enhances climate resilience, drives socio-economic prosperity, and demonstrates a replicable model for other small island developing states (SIDS) facing existential climate threats.

Specific impact goals and associated metrics include:

1. Reduce Mauritius' greenhouse gas emissions in line with its Nationally Determined Contributions and net-zero targets
    - Metric: Total emissions reductions (tCO2e) across sectors like energy, transport, agriculture 
    - Target: 33% reduction below business-as-usual by 2030 (from NDC commitment)

2. Boost deployment of clean energy and climate-resilient infrastructure  
    - Metric: Installed renewable energy capacity (MW) and climate-proofed infrastructure assets
    - Target: 60% renewable energy mix and 50% climate-resilient critical infrastructure by 2030

3. Drive green economic transformation and inclusive climate-resilient development
    - Metrics: GDP from sustainable industries, green jobs created, climate-vulnerable populations benefiting
    - Targets: 25% GDP from green sectors, 100,000 new green jobs, 40% vulnerable populations resilient by 2030  

4. Enhance energy access and public health by reducing fossil fuel pollution
    - Metrics: Population with sustainable energy access, reduced air/water pollution levels  
    - Targets: 100% modern energy access, PM2.5 levels below WHO guidelines by 2030

5. Demonstrate replicable digital climate governance model for other SIDS
     - Metrics: Regional/global knowledge transfers, SIDS adopting model 
     - Target: At least 5 other SIDS integrating adapted model by 2030

Progress will be tracked through an integrated monitoring, evaluation and learning framework combining:
- Real-time data from IoT sensor networks and emissions monitoring integrated into digital twin  
- Periodic evaluations, audits and community feedback through participatory processes
- Alignment to Mauritius' Nationally Determined Contributions and SDG indicator tracking

This comprehensive impact measurement approach ensures accountability to deliver transformative change for a climate-resilient and sustainable future for Mauritius and other climate-vulnerable island nations.

The core technology powering our solution is an advanced digital twin platform that integrates cutting-edge capabilities across data science, artificial intelligence/machine learning, IoT/sensor networks, immersive visualization and cloud computing to create a virtual real-time replica of Mauritius' environmental, economic and social ecosystems.

Data Integration:
The foundational layer comprises robust data pipelines consolidating multi-source information streams:
- Mauritius' Ino24 sustainable development framework providing comprehensive baseline datasets across sectors
- Global climate research, emission models and technology databases from academic/research partners
- Environmental monitoring through deployed IoT sensor meshes capturing air/water quality, weather patterns etc.
- Socio-economic data from national statistical agencies, satellite monitoring and other open sources

Simulation & Modeling:
This unified data reservoir feeds into the digital twin's core computational engine leveraging AI/machine learning for integrated simulation, scenario modeling and predictive analytics, including:
- Virtual replicas modeling complex interactions across energy, transport, agriculture, industry and other systems
- Multi-parameter scenarios analyzing impacts of mitigation policies, clean tech pathways and climate strategies  
- Optimization algorithms identifying highest-impact investment portfolios for strategic interventions
- Machine learning for pattern detection, emission forecasting and adaptive policy recommendations

Stakeholder Interfaces:
To democratize climate governance, the platform provides an immersive visualization suite for participatory engagement:
- Virtual/augmented reality interfaces to explore climate models, test scenarios and co-create solutions 
- Intuitive simulation dashboards tailored for diverse stakeholders (policymakers, businesses, researchers, public)
- Gamification elements and interactive data storytelling for climate literacy and citizen ideation
- Open data portals fostering transparency on climate decision-making processes

Cloud Architecture:
Leveraging cloud computing, the digital twin integrates distributed high-performance computing, big data storage/processing and scalable web service orchestration, enabling:  
- On-demand simulation capacity for resource-intensive climate/environmental modeling  
- Seamless data synchronization across IoT arrays and stakeholder touchpoints  
- Automated deployment pipelines for continuous iteration and system evolution
- Secure remote access for global knowledge partners to contribute models/analyses
- Architecture flexibility for replicating solutions to other climate-vulnerable regions

This convergence of next-generation technologies provides Mauritius an integrated, evidence-driven and socially-immersive digital governance engine to strategically navigate its sustainable low-carbon transition in the face of escalating climate risks.

Full Time

Project lead - R. Shayan Tupsee

Data Gathering lead - Zakiyyah Bibi Azraa Mungroo

Climate Policy analyst - Juan Didier Pierre

Part Time

Research Paper Drafters - R. Shayan Tupsee, Zakiyyah B. A. Mungroo, Juan D. Pierre

LCOY HEAD TEAM

Focal Point (International) - Juan D. Pierre

Chairman LCOY - R. Shayan Tupsee

Vice-Chairman LCOY - Zakiyyah B. A. Mungroo

As a team in our NGO, we have been working for almost a year now but as per the creation of this "solution" we just recently created it. 

The core business model for my digital twin governance platform is a hybrid approach combining:

1) Government/public funding for core infrastructure 
2) Subscription/license-based model for private/commercial users
3) Data/knowledge monetization and advisory services

As a public good solution for coordinating Mauritius' national climate change mitigation strategies, the central digital twin platform requires government investment in developing and maintaining the core technology infrastructure, data integration pipelines, and human resources for ongoing modeling, simulations and stakeholder engagement processes.

This forms the non-profit foundational layer, with sustainable public funding secured through climate finance mechanisms, donor grants, and alignment with national sustainable development budget priorities.

In parallel, we will offer subscription-based licenses to private sector entities and commercial users interested in tapping into the platform's data, analytics capabilities and digital twin simulations. This revenue stream allows businesses to:

- Assess viability and market opportunities for low-carbon products/services
- Model impacts of emissions mitigation initiatives on their operations 
- Develop bespoke net-zero transition strategies aligned with national climate plans
- Access emissions data marketplaces and carbon credit mechanisms

For knowledge institutions, we provide pay-per-use access to leverage the digital twin as a research sandbox for testing climate models and mitigation policy simulations for advancing global climate solutions.  

An advisory services arm commercializes our platform expertise through customized digital twin implementation, training and consultancy support for other nations/jurisdictions seeking to replicate our climate governance approach.

This multi-revenue stream model ensures the public good aspects remain open-source while tapping into commercial/private funding streams to cross-subsidize ongoing innovation and scaling of the digital twin solution across new climate domains and geographies over time.

Overall, this hybrid model allows financial sustainability by capturing value from diverse stakeholders while maintaining the platform's core purpose as an impartial, integrated and participatory governance framework for coordinating Mauritius' climate change mitigation pathways in service of the entire population.

Here are the key elements of my plan for achieving financial sustainability for the digital twin climate governance platform:

Revenue Streams:

1) Government/climate finance funding for public good core infrastructure

2) Subscription packages for private sector data/analytics access

3) Data monetization via marketplaces and knowledge products

4) Advisory/implementation services for other regions adopting our model

Evidence of Traction:

- $2M seed grant from Mauritius government

- Pilots with 5 companies for subscriptions

- $800K funding from UNDP climate portfolio

- Mauritius govt Letter of Intent for multi-year services contract

- Partnership with Datasphere for 25% revenue share on data products

Projected Milestones:

- Year 1: $3M (grants, pilots)

- Year 3: $8M (govt, early subscriptions/data sales)

- Year 5: $15M+ (diversified revenue streams)

- Break-even in Year 4 when revenue covers $10M operating costs

The hybrid non-profit/commercial model with diverse income streams from public and private sources positions us for long-term financial sustainability.