The Maldives aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1.5 million tonnes by 2035, Minister of Tourism and Environment Thoriq Ibrahim has announced.
The Minister made the statement while addressing a high-level event on the Paris Agreement, held on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The Paris Agreement was signed in 2015 by 195 countries to combat climate change. The Maldives hosted the side event, titled “Decade of Paris Agreement: The Maldives Climate Action and Partnership for Resilience”, to mark the 10th anniversary of the agreement. The event brought together government representatives, development partners, and international experts to review the country’s progress since the adoption of the Paris Agreement.
The session was opened by Minister Thoriq, who provided an overview of the nation’s climate policy evolution over the past decade. The statement highlighted the submission of the Maldives’ third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) in February 2025, which outlines an ambitious conditional emissions reduction target of 1.52 million tonnes of CO₂ by 2035 and strategies to strengthen resilience in key sectors such as energy, transport, and waste.
The event featured a panel discussion where panellists explored how sustained partnerships have supported the implementation of national climate strategies, shared lessons learned, and discussed opportunities to enhance cooperation, finance, and technology transfer for small island developing states.
Delivering the closing remarks, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Abdulla Khaleel underlined that partnerships are the backbone of the Maldives’ climate progress, turning the Paris Agreement into a promise of action rather than aspiration. He emphasised that the Maldives’ third NDC depends on predictable access to finance, technology transfer, and capacity-building support. Minister Khaleel also called for renewed international solidarity to ensure the next decade is defined by implementation and scaled-up support.
The event highlighted the Maldives’ role as Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) during the Paris Agreement negotiations and emphasised the importance of long-term collaboration in advancing climate resilience and equitable action for vulnerable nations.