UNDP Supports Mauritius in Strengthening the Science Behind Livestock Greenhouse Gas Emissions Tracking

Mauritius is strengthening the evidence it uses to understand greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from enteric fermentation in the livestock sector, with national stakeholders validating new country-specific emission factors and statistical models that can support more accurate climate reporting and better-informed policy decisions.

August 28, 2026

Group of diverse professionals posing for a photo in a conference room with a projector screen. — Representatives from Mauritius and Rodrigues, alongside public and private sector stakeholders, gather to review and validate country-specific Tier 2 emission factors and statistical models for livestock greenhouse gas emissions under the GEF-funded CBIT project, implemented by the Ministry of Environment with UNDP support.

Jean-Yan Norbert/UNDP Mauritius

A two-day validation workshop held on 26–27 August brought together representatives from the public and private sectors, members of the Livestock Technical Committee and stakeholders from Mauritius and Rodrigues. The initiative is being undertaken under the Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) project, implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Mauritius and Seychelles.

Diverse group around a table in a bright room; notebooks open, camera on a tripod.

Photograph of a man in a suit speaking at a podium with microphones on a conference stage.

Attentive group of adults in a classroom; foreground shows a woman with glasses in a red top.

Female presenter in a beige blazer with a microphone at a podium; projector screen in background.

Group of adults attending a workshop in a conference room, seated at tables with water bottles.

The workshop builds on work initiated in 2025 to strengthen Mauritius' capacity to track emissions from livestock and move towards the use of Tier 2 emission factors - an approach that uses more detailed, country-specific information rather than relying primarily on international default values.

Man in a light shirt feeds hay from a basket to cows in a barn. — Jean-Yan Norbert/UNDP Mauritius

Building a Clearer Picture of Livestock Emissions

One of the key sources of emissions addressed through the initiative is enteric fermentation, a natural digestive process in ruminant animals such as cattle, sheep and goats that produces methane. Understanding these emissions more accurately requires data that reflects local realities, including livestock breeds, feeding practices and production conditions. The project has therefore supported the development of country-specific emission factors for goats, sheep, beef cattle and dairy cattle, alongside livestock statistical models for Mauritius and Rodrigues.

For Dr. Madhvee Madhou, CEO of the Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (FAREI), developing this local evidence represents an important step forward.

“For many years, we relied largely on international values. But today we are moving towards science that reflects our own reality, our own livestock systems, our own feeding practices, our own breeds, our own production conditions.”

Photo of a woman with long dark hair delivering a talk at a white podium on stage. — Dr. Madhvee Madhou, CEO of the Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (FAREI)

Jean-Yan Norbert/UNDP Mauritius

More robust and locally relevant emission estimates can help Mauritius better understand the sources of its agricultural emissions and identify opportunities for mitigation, while strengthening the credibility of its national GHG inventory.

From Better Data to Better Climate Decisions

For UNDP, the initiative is part of a broader effort to strengthen the systems, skills and institutions needed for transparent and evidence-based climate action.

“Accurate greenhouse gas inventories are fundamental to effective climate governance,” said Jean Lindsay Azie, Environment Unit Team Leader at UNDP Mauritius and Seychelles. “They enable countries to better understand the sources of emissions, track progress against national commitments, and inform future policy and investment decisions.”

Man in a navy suit speaks at a podium during a conference, with a projected slide behind. — Jean Lindsay Azie, Environment Unit Team Leader at UNDP Mauritius and Seychelles

Jean-Yan Norbert/UNDP Mauritius

The validation process provided stakeholders with an opportunity to examine the data collection and gap assessment, emission factor calculations and statistical models, and to test whether the methodologies and assumptions are technically sound and relevant to Mauritius' national circumstances.

For the Ministry of Environment, this work forms part of a longer-term effort to build stronger climate transparency systems and improve the country's ability to meet its international climate commitments.

Photograph of a woman with glasses speaking at a podium during a workshop. — Sarita Meeheelaul, Director of the Department of Climate Change

Jean-Yan Norbert/UNDP Mauritius

“This is the purpose of CBIT actually, to build our capacity to be able to better respond to these commitments,” said Sarita Meeheelaul, Director of the Department of Climate Change. “The tools, methodologies, data sets and knowledge developed through this activity would need to be institutionalised and sustainably maintained.”

The project is designed with this longer-term perspective in mind. The methodologies, datasets and models are expected to be maintained and updated as new information becomes available, helping to establish a more systematic approach to livestock GHG inventory preparation.

Four professionals in a bright meeting room, reviewing documents at a glass table.

Photograph of a woman in a white blazer speaking into a microphone during a presentation.

Photo: Diverse group around a round table in a bright office, discussing papers.

Connecting Climate Action and Food Security

Better emissions data also has relevance beyond climate reporting. Mauritius is seeking to strengthen domestic food production while making its agricultural systems more resilient to increasingly unpredictable climatic conditions. FAREI's Dr. Madhou emphasised that these objectives need to be pursued together.

“We are investing today for a better future,” she said. “This is how we build a future where science strengthens policy, where data informs decisions, and where food security and climate action strengthen each other rather than compete.”

The initiative has also brought together researchers, technical experts, government institutions and farming stakeholders. FAREI (Livestock & Extension Divisions) contributed to the design and validation of farm survey tools, fieldwork and technical verification, helping ensure that the data generated is grounded in the realities of local farming communities.

The workshop further included a gender mainstreaming session, recognising the different roles and vulnerabilities of women and men in agriculture and livestock, and the importance of ensuring that climate action is inclusive.

Ensuring the work continues

The validation of these technical outputs marks an important milestone, but stakeholders stressed that the work should continue beyond the project's formal completion.

The ultimate value of improved emissions data lies in how it is used - to strengthen national reporting, inform policy and investment, support climate mitigation and improve understanding of how the livestock sector can contribute to a more resilient agricultural system.

For Mauritius, strengthening the measurement of livestock emissions is therefore about more than producing better numbers. It is about building the national capacity and evidence base needed to make climate action more credible, targeted and sustainable, while supporting the country's wider ambitions for food security and resilient development.