Welcome to the Earth.Org Global Sustainability Index, where Earth.Org examines the policies and actions regarding the environment of every nation on earth. Combining the most respected global indexes on pollution, climate change, policy, energy, oceans, biodiversity we have produced an overall Global Index, which will be updated annually. This is the Global Sustainability Index scorecard for the Seychelles.
As a Small Island Developing State, the Seychelles are among the most vulnerable and heavily affected nations by the impacts of climate change. Sea level rise threatens to swallow its coasts along which 90% of its critical infrastructure is built, while the vibrant marine ecosystems upon which the economy relies are dwindling. The island state’s overall emissions are expectedly low (0.003% of global emissions), yet they are committed to reducing their growing per capita emissions while building crucial climate resilience.
The Seychelles mitigation strategies are geared toward reducing their energy sector’s emissions, which account for 95% of the total. Because they are the least responsible for climate change, SIDS play an important role in setting an example for a viable, fully sustainable society. The Seychelles displayed their commitment by agreeing to a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement in 2016. It promises a 188ktCO2 reduction in yearly emissions by 2030, with an estimated cost of USD 309 million.
- The Seychelles are highly vulnerable to climate change, with sea level rise threatening their coastal infrastructure and higher temperatures promoting vector-borne disease.
- Despite being an insignificant emitter of greenhouse gases, the nation has still committed to reducing their carbon footprint under the Paris Agreement.
- The main concern of the government is to build climate resilience by reinforcing coasts, strengthening education and research, improving sanitation and adapting agricultural practices.
* Our Climate Change Ranking considers this country’s efforts toward climate change insufficient and thus has not ranked it.
** Our Energy ranking considers emission intensity (units of energy per unit of GDP). When one or both are low enough to make their influence negligible on a global scale, the country is left out of the ranking.
Global Sustainability Main Page.
References:
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Biodiversity, Policy: Sachs, J., Schmidt-Traub, G., Kroll, C., Lafortune, G., Fuller, G. (2019): Sustainable Development Report 2019. New York: Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).
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Oceans: Halpern, Benjamin S., et al. “An index to assess the health and benefits of the global ocean.” Nature 488.7413 (2012): 615-620.
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Pollution: Wendling, Z. A., Emerson, J. W., Esty, D. C., Levy, M. A., de Sherbinin, A., et al. (2018). 2018 Environmental Performance Index. New Haven, CT: Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy. https://epi.yale.edu/
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Climate Change: Climate Change Performance Index; Jan Burck, Ursula Hagen, Niklas Höhne, Leonardo Nascimento, Christoph Bals, ISBN 978-3-943704-75-4, 2019
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Energy: Enerdata –World Energy Statistics – Yearbook.
World Energy Statistics
