Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed called on fellow vulnerable, developing countries to embrace a carbon neutral future, during his inaugural address to the 'Climate Vulnerable Forum', which is meeting in the Maldives on Monday and Tuesday.
In the Forum's keynote address, Nasheed lamented the lack of progress being made in international climate change negotiations and called on poor, vulnerable countries to show “moral leadership” by shifting from fossil fuel to renewable energy.
Delegates at the Climate Vulnerable Forum include President Tong of Kiribati, as well as foreign and environment ministers from Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam, Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania, and representatives from Barbados and Bhutan.
China, Denmark, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, the UK and the United States are attending the Forum as observers.
“We are gathered here because we are the most vulnerable group of nations to climate change. Some might prefer us to suffer in silence but today we have decided to speak...we will not die quietly,” Nasheed said.
“To my mind, countries that have the foresight to green their economies today, will be the winners of tomorrow,” the President added.
Nasheed called on developing countries to break away from carbon-based growth and embrace green technology as a way to shame larger polluters to clean up their act.
“A group of vulnerable, developing countries committed to carbon neutral development would send a loud message to the outside world,” Nasheed said.
“If those with the least start doing the most, what excuse can the rich have for continuing inaction?
“At the moment every country arrives at [international climate] negotiations seeking to keep their own emissions as high as possible. This is the logic of the madhouse, a recipe for collective suicide.
“We don't want a global suicide pact...we want a global survival pact,” Nasheed stated.
Maldivian organisers of the Forum say the aim of the gathering is to amplify the voices of vulnerable, poor nations, who often go unheard in international negotiations.
Organisers say they hope the Forum will mean a better outcome at Copenhagen for vulnerable, developing nations.
“The countries represented in this room are diverse but they have one thing in common: their vulnerability to climate change,” Maldivian Environment Minister Mohamed Aslam said in his welcome address to the Forum.
“We have waited for over a decade for something to happen. But nothing has happened. We refuse to sit and do nothing,” added Aslam.
Environmentalist Mark Lynas, who helped draw up the Maldives' 10-year carbon neutral plan, also addressed the Forum.
“Don't let anyone tell you it is too late to stop climate change....it is possible to stop it with political will,” Lynas said.
“The world needs to quit carbon....abandoning a form of development we now know to be wrong,” Lynas added.
In March this year, the Maldives announced plans to become the world's first carbon neutral nation.
The carbon neutral plan includes proposals to switch from oil to 100% renewable energy production.
Earlier this month, President Nasheed unveiled plans to build a 75 Mega Watt wind farm in North Male' atoll, which would provide 40% of the country's electricity and cut the Maldives' carbon dioxide emissions by a quarter.
Related:
- President Nasheed’s address to the Climate Vulnerable Forum
- Photos - Inaugural session of the Climate Vulnerable Forum
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7 comments:
Following is a disgusted site I saw on the 08-11-09 in Orchid Magu, during lunch hour near Evening Cafe, This was a group of about six people who went for lunch to the above Indian Restaurant.
One of them, a man about 25 years old, tall dark person with a vertical scar about one and a half inches long, on his left eye, wipe his hands in your National flag which was decorated for some event along the road side, as if it was his serviette.
I am not a Maldivian, but I felt so dumbfounded I thought from what on earth kind of a school did this chap studied, hence, I thought I will share this disgusting act by this man with you lot. No man should treat any national flag in this manner.
parliament ge raees abdullah shahid akee, varah nulafaa insaafun kan thah nukuraa meeheh kamah fennaathee, e magaamun vaki krumah no confidence vote lumah hivvaru dheyn mdp ge ikhulaas theri memberun nah govaalan. drp gaiginin thibee, mulhin ves dhoverin naa vagun kan mihaaru ragalhah fennamun dhey.. aa drp ge bodu meehaa akee ves vageh veemaa dhen ves e party aa gulhen ves beynun vaanee eyge meehun. Maaiy Allah ge iraadhafulhun mi drp ge faraathun raaje salaamiy kodhdhevvaa dheyve. Aameen.
we need to establish an entity called...government investment corporation of Maldives...
it shud be the investment arm of the govt of maldives....with a required paid up capital.
and its purpose shud be to have strategic stake or patnership in projects like windfarm in gaafaru island..
we shud not allow 100% FDI..the govt got to invest alongside..
....so that we benefit everyway...
a good model is singapore...like temasek holdings and government investment corporation of singapore....
hats off
mi adhu mdp ge higaalumun higamun dhaa iru, varah vaarey vehey. alhugadu bunaaee, iraadha kurevveethee, miee Rahmath ge vaarey ey. Raees nasheed akee, thedhuveri veri eh, rayyithun nah ikhulaas theri veri eh adhi mihaa thanah raaje dhuh. mi hen bunumakee evves dhogeh noon. Abadhu ves raees nasheed ah Allah ge heyo rahmiy fulhu lavvaadhey ve. Aameen
i applaud the wisdom with which our President is carrying this challenge forward
To Anonymous 11:44AM,
I am a Maldivian student studying abroad. I thank you for sharing your view. Most likely the guy had NO education all and respect to own country, little alone to a national flag. Having said that, to whatever country you belong to, there always exists a small group (i believe a minority) of people with such mentality. We can never get rid of them completely (from a global perspective), i think the reason behind this is political motivation/could be a sign of frustration/unfair trials/or due to mentally ill person (in this case he/she should not be on the streets).
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