Supporting African countries’ response

The President of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, in his capacity as Chair of the African Island States Climate Commission, made an urgent call for all partners and stakeholders to unite in supporting African nations’ response to climate change.

Ramkalawan made this appeal during a business summit at the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit in Seoul, South Korea. He emphasized that by transitioning to carbon-free energy, African nations can move beyond the fossil fuel era and build a more sustainable and prosperous future. COP28 has called for a tripling of global renewable energy capacity and doubling the annual global rate of energy efficiency improvement by 2030. With rapid technological advancements, the cost of renewable energy has significantly decreased in recent years, while energy storage technologies are quickly improving.

Therefore, the transition to these carbon-free energy technologies is feasible. As the leader of a small island developing state (SIDS), Ramkalawan stressed that Seychelles is not only affected by climate change but also faces an existential threat due to its impacts.

Additionally, on the sidelines of the summit, Ramkalawan held bilateral talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol on Wednesday. Both leaders expressed their strong hope that bilateral cooperation will be strengthened for the mutual benefit of both nations.