Maldives would be exemplary in reducing carbon emissions: President

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih | Photo: President's Office

Male’, Maldives – The President of Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had said that Maldives would do exemplary work in reducing the amount carbon emitted into the atmosphere.

He made the remarks while speaking at the United Nations Climate Ambition Summit, held virtually to mark the fifth anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement, while providing a platform for Heads of States and Governments to outline their national priorities and vision with respect to reducing carbon emissions.

The summit, which is being co-hosted by the United Kingdom, France and the U.N, in partnership with Chile and Italy, will be part of the lead up to the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 26) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), scheduled to take place from 1–12 November 2021, in Glasgow.

Maldives understands all too well the scale of climate change and is fully committed to meeting its challenge. Unlike countries that have the luxury of still focusing on mitigation, the Maldives is already directly impacted by the climate emergency and is being forced to undertake adaptation measures at an accelerated pace.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih

Further speaking, the President stated that given the current amount of resources available to Maldives, the Maldives is on track to reduce a quarter of carbon emissions by 2030. In addition to this, the president acknowledged this as a positive start and emphasized that the Maldives would like to commit to a much bolder vision.

He expressed that if given the required international support and assistance, the Maldives could achieve net-zero commitments as early as 2030. He noted that to reach such ambitious targets, Maldives would require the international community to provide the consistent technical and financial assistance they have pledged to such countries over many decades.

The president further added that the Maldives will do all that it can to address the climate emergency and called on international partners to fulfill their global climate responsibilities, as it is only with the collective will and cooperation of the entire global community that the rise of global temperatures can be kept within the 1.5 degree limit.