Seychelles submits climate action plan ahead of 2015 Paris accord |28 September 2015
The government of Seychelles has submitted its new climate action plan to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The action plan, known as the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), was submitted on Friday.
Seychelles’ INDC comes well in advance of a new universal climate change agreement which will be reached at the UN climate conference in Paris, in December this year.
Seychelles’ INDC was developed using a multi-stakeholder consultative process by engaging relevant stakeholders in and outside government making it the 45th party to do so
Seychelles’ INDC is in response to decisions adopted at the 19th and 20th sessions of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, that invite parties to communicate to the UNFCCC secretariat their INDCs towards achieving the objective of the UNFCCC as set out in Article 2 of the Convention.
Seychelles’ INDC builds on the participatory multi-stakeholder and cross-sectoral consultative processes during its development at national level.
It has two main components: mitigation contributions and adaptation contributions.
- Mitigation contributions
The absolute economy-wide emission reductions covering public electricity, land transport and solid waste management energy, the country intends to reduce its economy-wide absolute GHG emissions by 122.5 ktCO2e (21.4%) in 2025 and estimated 188 ktCO2e in 2030 (29.0%) relative to baseline emissions.
The cost of achieving the emission reduction objective in 2030 in the energy, transport and waste sectors have been estimated to be at least US $309 million.
- 2. Adaptation contributions
The government of Seychelles considers adaptation to climate change as a high priority to reduce the country’s vulnerability.
The adaptation challenges the country faces range from infrastructure, agriculture, fisheries, tourism and coastline protection to energy and water security, biodiversity, waste management and human health and well-being.
Although the exact impacts are not known, and more research is needed to better understand the implications of a change in global climate on the islands, it is critical that Seychelles takes measures to better understand the threats and starts longer-term planning for adaptation.
The cost of implementing the adaptation contributions (2030) has been estimated to be at least US $295 million.
Seychelles’ contribution will be implemented with both domestic and international support.
Seychelles will require international support in the form of finance, investment, technology development and transfer, and capacity-building to fully realise her intended contribution.
Further analysis will be necessary to refine the required investment cost and determine the domestic support.
The Paris agreement will come into effect in 2020, empowering all countries to act to prevent average global temperatures rising above 2 degrees Celsius and to reap the many opportunities that arise from a necessary global transformation to clean and sustainable development.
UNFCCC executive secretary Christiana Figueres is encouraging countries to come forward with their INDCs as soon as they are able, underlining their commitment and support towards this successful outcome in Paris.
Governments agreed to submit their INDCs in advance of Paris.
So far only 75 countries have submitted their INDCs, and 119 countries are yet to do so.