Reacting to the new Asian Development Bank (ADB) climate and economics report for South Asia Thoriq Ibrahim, the Maldives Minister of Environment and Energy said that it is heartening to note the affirmation of our plight by ADB, which, we have been passionately advocating for last 27 years. He stated with satisfaction that at the same time, the Maldives stands to gain the most in South Asia if the global community limits damage and impacts from climate change by taking necessary measures to change resource use patterns.
“Since 1987, we have vehemently debated that the climate change is no scientific apocalypse that it is real and happening and the world has to take bold steps to address the issue and save low-lying island nations. We have taken centre-stage far greater the size of our nation both at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) from their inception”, says the Minister.
He said that on our part, Maldives is doing as much as possible to minimize the impacts of climate change on our archipelago and that Maldives have embarked on a bold initiative, to make 30 per cent of daily maximum electricity consumption in the islands to renewable energy in the next 5 years.
He also said that he feels it is opportune to urge the international community, particularly, financial institutions to assert far greater weight with Maldives and other potentially vulnerable states to curb the impending perils of climate change.