Vice President Faisal Naseem has stated that the battle to keep the 1.5 degrees goal alive will be won or lost within this decade.
VP Naseem stated this at the ceremony held to launch the work program of Global Goals on Adaptation.
Speaking at the ceremony held on Monday, VP Naseem stated that Maldivians want to remain in the Maldives and be involved in seeking solutions that will allow us to do so. He said that these solutions include easing access to climate finance and technology, building of resilience, and adaptive capacity that addresses sustainable development and reduces inequality.
VP Naseem stated that the most vulnerable in the world cannot afford any further delays to these solutions.
Highlighting that Maldives is one of the lowest lying nations in the world, VP Naseem stated that the meaning of this in terms of resilience to climate change is immediately evident as you fly over our beautiful nation.
The Vice President echoed President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s statement at the UN General Assembly last year, reminding the delegates that "the difference between 1.5 degrees and 2 degrees is a death sentence for the Maldives."
VP Naseem stated that it is important and necessary to hold these meetings to build momentum before the world gathers again in Sharm al - Sheikh in November, to demonstrate that the commitments made in Paris and Glasgow will be implemented and translated into policy. He stated that these are important to convey the need for urgent action and to contextualize the crucial need for adaptation.
The Vice President said that the vulnerability of people living in small island nations to rising sea levels, warming oceans, and the high levels of investment and logistics required to adapt to a warming world is disturbingly clear. He, however, stressed that adaptation does not receive the political attention it deserves, nor does it receive financial investment commensurate with the scale of the challenge.
VP Naseem remarked that the world is facing numerous global challenges tied to climate change. He stated that these global challenges can already be linked to climate change, the scale and impact of the consequences of inaction against the climate emergency will be unprecedented.
Concluding his remarks, VP Naseem encouraged the diplomats to keep this in mind when they are having the discussions, highlighting that climate crisis is an emergency that needs immediate response.
The Maldives is hosting the work program on GGA from May 16-17, 2022. It is a critical goal of the Paris Agreement, aiming to improve adaptive capacity and resilience while reducing vulnerability in order to keep the rate of global temperature- rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
