Seychelles
les Seychelles
Overall NDC Equity Score
Average
Emissions Reductions
Average
Given its relatively small responsibility, the NDC sets ambitious targets to achieve 100% renewable energy, but its efforts to reduce emissions across all sectors could be improved.
Gender Justice
Aspiring
The NDC includes gender as a cross-cutting principle and commitments to collecting gender disaggregated data, but it insufficiently addresses long-term solutions of inclusion and LGBTQ rights.
Youth Inclusion
Average
The NDC has notable gaps in youth inclusion, but recognizes the sustained need for improvement and the significance of the Local Conference on Youth.
Summary
As a Small Island Developing State, Seychelles is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Rising sea levels and temperatures, ocean acidification, saltwater intrusion, retreating coastlines, more intense and less predictable weather are some of the impacts Seychelles is experiencing and will need to adapt to in the coming years. Seychelles’ economic pillars, tourism, and fisheries are set to be severely compromised by climate change as they depend on critical infrastructure (roads, utilities, hotels, ports, and airports) and natural resources (fish, endemic flora, and fauna, beaches, and coral reefs) which are exposed to climate change. Furthermore, Seychelles’ natural resources, already strained from land-use change and mismanagement, invasive species, overfishing, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, pollution, and other anthropogenic activities, reduce Seychelles’ resilience to climate change and further permit the climate crisis to be an existential threat.
Consequently, the Seychelles government has formulated various plans that directly and indirectly tackle climate change including the Seychelles National Development Strategy 2019-2023, Seychelles’ 100% Renewable Energy Strategy (SeyRES 100), Seychelles Sustainable Development Strategy (2011-2020), and two National Climate Change Strategies (2009 & 2020) among others. The government also works with several key national (GOS-UNDP-GEF Coordination Unit of Seychelles) and international partners ( GCCA+) in the implementation of national projects and local initiatives. Seychelles has even made use of innovative financing in the creation of the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust (SEYCCAT) to begin adapting to climate change. Ultimately, the clearest statement of Seychelles’ plans in tackling climate change rests with its NDCs. Seychelles is committed to economy-wide absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions of 122.5 ktCO2e (21.4%) by 2025 and 188 ktCO2e by 2030 (29.0%) compared to the business as usual (BAU) scenario with support from a mix of domestic funding and international climate financing. In terms of adaptation, Seychelles is increasing the regulation of its coastal planning and relying on Nature-based Solutions (NBS) and blue carbon ecosystems (BCE).
Even with COVID-19 restrictions, Seychelles conducted a participatory process for developing its NDC, leading to more inclusive outcomes. Efforts included zoom, telephone communication, and Google Forms. The country’s consultative efforts led to a 1) a review of 2015 NDC through gender and youth perspective; 2) an analytical study on the relationship between climate change, gender, and youth; and 3) the creation of a citizen’s charter for climate action and empowerment.
On gender mainstreaming, Seychelles NDC sends a strong message. It highlights gender-centric indicators as a priority by involving funding and action points around “gender-responsive vulnerability assessments”, the formulation of “protective measures informed by sex-disaggregated population data”, and the intention to create gender-responsive natural resource management plans. Moreover, the NDC also commits to addressing issues around “sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence” and “building more climate and gender-responsive social protection systems”.
On youth inclusion, the NDC has many gaps; however, the Seychelles recognized at the Local Conference of Youth in 2021 that youth engagement and inclusion in the NDC should be improved.
Highlights
- Commits to integrating "sustainable tourism” in its circular economy plans and cutting GHG emissions from the tourism sector.
- Commits to investments in climate adaptation for key populations, including vulnerable and marginalised groups (i.e. women, indigenous peoples).
- Aims to establish a long-term monitoring program in BCE (Blue Carbon Ecosystem) protecting 50% of seagrass and mangrove ecosystems by 2025, and 100% by 2030.
- Intention to develop gender-centric indicators and vulnerability assessments to inform climate action.
- Intention to conduct gender-responsive resource management planning efforts and increase social protections for women.
Lowlights
- Lacks understanding of the impacts of climate change on women and youth.
- Acknowledges the rights of women and youth, but lacks policies allowing for their active participation.
Key Recommendations
Seychelles made a strong effort to integrate social justice and gender equity needs by committing to creating new and better jobs, safeguarding female reproductive rights, and formulating a consultative engagement mechanism for developing climate strategies. Through dedicated research and funds to better understand the climate change impacts on women and youth as presented in the NDC, the Seychelles will be able to greatly increase action toward a gender just and youth inclusive future in its next NDC.
The Seychelles recognizes the clear gap in access to gender-disaggregated data and youth inclusion in its NDC; however, whether these gaps will be closed in the upcoming NDC is up for debate. The following are key recommendations for the improvement of future NDCs and other national climate plans:
For Gender Mainstreaming:
- Conduct regular national capacity assessments to identify the needs of and provide resources to women.
- Include women and gender-diverse groups in monitoring and evaluation of NDC commitments.
- Create new and innovative ways to finance and non-financially support women-led initiatives, projects, and campaigns.
- Include gender-disaggregated data in informing actions of the next NDC.
For Youth Inclusion
- Create policies to enable the active participation of marginalised groups, particularly youth, in climate adaptation activities.
- Formally recognize commitments created in the LCOY in the NDC.
- Involve youth in monitoring and evaluation of NDC commitments.
- Implement direct communication mechanisms between government, and youth groups to increase youth involvement in NDC formulation.
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