Harmonizing national policies

The development of an appropriate framework and policy for blue carbon in the Seychelles is in its final stage. During one of the recent briefing sessions, stakeholders gathered on the main island of Mahé on Wednesday to complete and approve the work that has been pending since July of this year.

Dr. Ameer Ebrahim, responding to the media about this project, stated that its goal is to harmonize national policies to ensure optimal integration of blue carbon. Blue carbon refers to the carbon captured and stored by marine and coastal ecosystems. It is crucial because it can capture carbon dioxide up to four times faster than terrestrial forests. It should be noted that the Seychelles has committed to preserving 50% of its seagrass and mangrove habitats by 2025 and 100% by 2030.

The head of climate change at the Ministry of Agriculture emphasized the need to establish a suitable framework for blue carbon. He noted that this policy would help fulfill commitments made regarding the preservation of blue carbon ecosystems.

In response to questions about carbon credits and the perception surrounding them, Prosper suggested that a policy and context must be established before even considering this possibility. This addresses common criticisms that carbon credits do not contribute to reducing emissions and that voluntary carbon markets are not limited to greenwashing strategies.

According to Ebrahim, after the consultative meeting, the final draft of the blue carbon policy will be submitted to the Seychelles government before the beginning of next week.