Maldives is making great strides towards the successful implementation of measures to curb carbon emissions, the Minister of Tourism and Environment, Thoriq Ibrahim has said.
Speaking during the International Zero Carbon Islands and Green, Low-Carbon Development Conference on Monday, Minister Thoriq alluded to measures being taken to adapt to climate change and reduce carbon emissions. The Minister also said that the government is aiming to reduce carbon emissions to 1.52 million tonnes this year.
The efforts to enhance the use of renewable energy sources are paving the way to achieving the target of reducing carbon emissions, he explained.
"Solar energy systems are being installed in different parts of the country. We will invest even more in this. We are also working on identifying more measures that can be taken to reduce toxic emissions", he said.
The Low-Carbon Development Conference is a joint collaboration between China and Maldives to increase the use of renewable energy and reduce emissions.
China has provided training opportunities to the Maldives in this field while making special efforts to help the island nation reduce carbon emissions. China has also provided opportunities to study in renewable energy-related fields with tuition, accommodation and travel expenses covered by the Chinese government.
The government has launched several initiatives for renewable energy and sustainable waste management in a bid to preserve Maldives’ fragile environment and ecosystem.
The Administration of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu had announced bold yet long overdue plans to address the issues, launching several key initiatives last year.
In the beginning of 2024, the total installed capacity of renewable energy was 53 Megawatts which amounted to just four percent of energy consumption in the island nation.
However, this Administration has aimed to turn that figure to 33 percent over the course of the next five years. Under these plans the government has managed to add 15 Megawatts of renewable energy taking the total up to over 70 percent in just one year.