Ministry of Technology, Communication and Innovation

The Department of Climate Change was established following the coming into force of the Climate Change Act 2020 in April 2021. The Department of Climate Change is headed by its Director.

Functions of the Department of Climate Change​

In line with the provisions of the Act, the Department of Climate Change is responsible to –

(a)   promote adaptation and mitigation measures to address climate change in relevant sectors;

(b)   develop and coordinate policies, projects, strategies, programmes and action plans to address the adverse effects of climate change and oversee their implementation by relevant stakeholders, including Government departments, statutory bodies and private institutions;

(c)   formulate and update guidelines for the conduct of vulnerability and risk assessments relating to climate change;

(d)   establish procedures and issue guidelines to reduce emissions of greenhouse gas;

(e)   establish reporting mechanisms for public and private institutions, including statutory bodies, relating to climate change;

(f)    establish and maintain a climate change database system to enable the assessment, monitoring, reporting;

(g)   compile, analyse and disseminate information on climate change;

(h)  provide technical support and facilitate and coordinate research and studies by public and private institutions, including statutory bodies, in relation to adaptation and mitigation measures relating to climate change;

(i)    promote the implementation of Article 6 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on education, training and public awareness on climate change and related matters;

(j) prepare, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, the National Inventory Report, the report on national communications and such other report as may be required to meet the obligations of Mauritius under UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement and any other instrument relating to climate change;

(k) mobilise necessary technical and financial resources for the formulation and implementation of projects on climate change with a view to implementing UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement and any other related international instrument;

(l) promote and enhance the participation of stakeholders, including the business community, non-governmental organisations and local communities, in climate change

matters;

(m) commission studies on climate change, taking into consideration, inter alia, human rights, cultural heritage and gender issues;

(n) identify the particular and specific vulnerabilities and susceptibilities of Mauritius, as a Small Island Developing State, to climate change, and measures to address them;

(o) establish links, and cooperate, with Small Island Developing States and other regional blocks so as to mobilise resources to implement common mitigation and adaptation measures;

(p) establish a network at national, regional and international levels with institutions and organisations that work on climate change issues;

(q) publish information relating to climate change, including initiatives and activities to address climate change;

(r) monitor the level of greenhouse gas emissions and removal by sink to ascertain and ensure that greenhouse gas emissions are reduced as required under UNFCCC;

(s) monitor the implementation of sectoral climate change adaptation policy and measures to ascertain that the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan is complied with;

(t) monitor the implementation of sectoral climate change mitigation policy and measures to ascertain that the National Climate Change Mitigation Strategy and Action Plan is complied with; and

(u) carry out such other duties, not inconsistent with this Act, as may be entrusted to it in writing by the Inter- Ministerial Council on Climate Change or the Minister.

Nationally Determined Contributions

In 2021, the Nationally Determined Contributions for the Republic of Mauritius was updated and submitted to the Secretariat of the UNFCCC.

Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions

The Department of Climate Change has also formulated a Low Carbon Development Strategy and Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) for Mauritius.

National Communications of the Republic of Mauritius

Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are required, in accordance with Article 12 of the Convention, to prepare and submit a national communication so as to report on measures undertaken at their level to implement their relevant obligations and decisions pertaining to climate change. The scope of the National Communication basically comprises two components, namely:

• National Inventory Report; and
• A National Report on Climate Science, Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change, Measures to Mitigate Climate Change, and a number of cross cutting issues such as research and systematic observation; transfer of technology; education, training and public awareness; gender; capacity-building; information and networking. 
  
   

The Republic of Mauritius submitted its national communications to the UNFCCC as follows:

The Ministry has embarked on the preparation of the Fourth National Communication for the Republic of Mauritius along with its National Inventory Report on GHG emissions and sinks covering period 2017 to 2022. The Fourth National Communication for the Republic of Mauritius is planned to be ready by December 2025.

Contact:

Department of Climate Change

Tel: 203 6200 (Ext: 337)​​

Database on Climate-related Risk D​​rivers

Impacts and Consequences of Climate Change

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