A validation meeting for the review of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of the Republic of Seychelles was held on 13 May 2021 ahead of COP 26. This online event held in the presence of members of the Government of Seychelles, academia, project donors, and other national stakeholders, was facilitated by the UNDP under the Climate Promise Initiative, which supports climate action in 118 countries worldwide.

Regarded as a net carbon sink, Seychelles remains extremely vulnerable to Climate Change and needs to uphold its best practice towards sustainability. The Seychelles Government considers Ocean Conservation as a key priority in addressing the climate crisis and has committed to adjusting its ambitions in a realistic way, through a blue NDC with emphasis on Blue Carbon and nature-based solutions. Adaptation and mitigation measures in sectors such as tourism, health, energy, transportation, and waste management have been also considered to enhance the country’s NDCs and curb its Green House Gas (GHG) emissions.

The Minister of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment of the Republic of Seychelles, H.E. Flavien Joubert said that Seychelles is thriving to ensure that “the revised and updated NDCs are actionable and achievable by developing a detailed implementation monitoring plan and financing strategies aligning to our long-term efforts.” Observing that positive trends have emerged towards net-zero within SIDS, the minister declared that the NDCs review will be “another important milestone that will demonstrate Seychelles’ commitment to climate action and willingness to work with the global community.”

Seychelles’ partners in the NDC review process

UNDP Resident Representative for Mauritius and Seychelles, Ms. Amanda Serumaga, congratulated Seychelles for reviewing its mitigation targets from 188 to 275 kilotons of Carbon Dioxide. Mentioning the Climate Promise Initiative, Ms. Serumaga stated that the UNDP has contributed to bringing together nations and partners towards crucial climate action to build a zero-carbon, sustainable and inclusive world. Ms. Serumaga also declared that: “the UNDP remains committed to supporting the Government’s national ambitions towards climate action and ensuring that Seychelles continues to champion the way ahead for the Small Island States and the region alike.”

In an overview of the Paris Agreement, Mr. Andrew Jean Louis, lead coordinator of the NDC Partnership, presented the supporting partners of the Government of Seychelles for the review of the NDCs. In addition to the UNDP, Seychelles can count on the support of the World Bank, the European Union, IRENA, Stantec, GIZ, the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust (SEYCATT), the Nature Conservancy, Deltares, the University of Seychelles, and the PEW Charitable Trusts. Mr. Jean Louis also recalled that Seychelles ratified the Paris Agreement in 2015 with a realistic approach concerning the review of NDCs.

Mitigation and adaptation measures

Presenting the sectors concerned by the NDCs, Mr. Cliff Gonzalves, Lead CPI consultant, stated that the mitigation policies of Seychelles are focused on three main sectors namely: Energy, Transport and Waste Management. Concerning actions to adapt to the effects of climate change, the CPI Consultant declared that the country initiated 20 activities in fields such as Critical Infrastructure, Tourism, Food Security, Biodiversity and Water security. Mr. Gonzalves also announced that Seychelles scored 59.2% on the NDC Score Card, a result which is considered “quite good”.

Mr. Luis Alves, from the EU Technical Assistance Facility for Sustainable Energy, also talked about mitigation, underlining that Seychelles plans “to reduce economy-wide GHG emissions by 28% below Business as Usual by 2030, and to achieve a decarbonized net-zero emission economy by 2050.” The EU Consultant mentioned that the country could curb its GHG emissions via reduced energy intensity; improved energy efficiency; shifting to responsible tourism and circular economy, and fostering the natural sink function of its ecosystems.

Reviewing Seychelles NDCs through the lens of the Blue Economy

According to Stuart Laing, from the Blue Economy Institute of the University of Seychelles, the present NDCs review sets “greater focus on adaptation through the lens of Blue Economy”. Mr. Laing declared that the review of the NDCs will include measures to shift to Sustainable Fisheries; include Blue Carbon Ecosystems; and improve Coastal Management and Critical Infrastructure which are interconnected with the tourist industry, a major economic pillar of the island.

In the same vein, Angélique Poupponeau, CEO of SEYCATT, advocated for the inclusion of the ecosystem services of Blue Carbon in the review of the NDCs. According to Angélique Poupponeau, the importance of mangrove forests and seagrass should be considered since they capture atmospheric carbon 30-50 times faster than terrestrial forests; act as nurseries for fish and feeding ground for charismatic biodiversity, and protect shorelines from coastal erosion and extreme weather events.

Mainstreaming Gender and Youth into Seychelles’ NDC

The meeting also included a presentation on Mainstreaming Gender and Youth into Seychelles’ NDC by Dr. Daniel Etongo from the University of Seychelles. According to Dr. Etongo: “Climate change cuts across all the SDGs, and it has the potential to increase resource scarcity, undermine livelihoods, increase pressures for migration and forced displacement, and weaken the ability of states to provide the conditions necessary for human security, all of which make it more difficult to achieve a sustainable development agenda.”

The national consultations for Seychelles’ NDC reviews are continuing with two technical meetings on adaptation and mitigation during the month of May 2021. The final review of the NDCs will be submitted to the Government of Seychelles on 31 May 2021 ahead of COP 26 to be held in November 2021.