Maldives targets to reach net-zero by 2030, says President Solih

Maldives targets to reach net-zero by 2030, says President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

The president made this remark during the ongoing Climate Ambition Summit held virtually by the United Nations in commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement.

The president said that Maldives aims to reduce carbon emissions as outlined in the country’s revised Nationally Determined Contribution.

Highlighting that Maldives is among the “most vulnerable” countries to the impacts of climate change, the president noted that the country wants its ambition to meet the “full scale” of this challenge, and to be “a leader” in reducing carbon emissions.

Shedding light on the positive start that is Maldives being on track to reduce a quarter of its emissions by 2030 with the current assistance and resources available, Solih stated that the government believes it has a responsibility to take a “more transformational” economic and environmental path.

For this reason, Maldives targets to reach net-zero by 2030, if it receives the “extensive” support needed.

The Maldives president noted that the country needs the realization of the financial and technical assistance that has been pledged to countries such as Maldives, over many decades, in order to reach the net-zero goal.

Further, the president noted that Maldives will do “all that it can” to address the climate emergency, going on to urge the international community to do the same and provide access especially to Small Island Developing States (SIDS), for “much needed” consistent financial assistance. This must be done so that SIDS can meet their targets, and secure a “1.5-degree world”.

The Paris Agreement was established in 2015 and the summit proves to be an important initiative to lead collective active as COP26 advances.