Workshop held at Savoy Resort

The Seychelles aim to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, a goal aligned with the Paris Agreement’s climate action framework.

At the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, world leaders made significant progress in addressing global warming and its harmful impacts. Under the agreement, aimed at limiting global warming to 1.5°C, emissions will be reduced by 45 % by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.

Achieving net zero emissions is crucial, especially for carbon dioxide (CO2), as it represents a point of equilibrium where global warming halts. The workshop marked the start of Seychelles’ journey to realize this vision, bringing together stakeholders from various sectors to discuss short-, medium-, and long-term action plans. Two United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) consultants, Dr. Laurent Sam, and Rishi Basak, led the discussions.

To achieve net zero, a two-part strategy is essential. The first focus is on reducing human-induced emissions, such as those from vehicles and fossil-fuel-powered facilities. The next step would involve offsetting remaining emissions through carbon removal efforts. This could include natural solutions, such as forest rehabilitation, and technological options like direct air capture and storage, which extracts carbon directly from the atmosphere.

Sujitha Sekharan, a UNDP program and interventions expert in Seychelles, noted, « This falls under UNDP’s Climate Promise, which supports around 140 countries ».