The Maldives has pledged to go carbon neutral by 2020, cutting its net carbon dioxide emissions by 100%, as its contribution to tackling climate change under the Copenhagen Accord.

In a letter to the Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), on 29 January, Maldives Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed said:

“The Maldives’ submission of its mitigation action is voluntary and unconditional...The Maldives looks forward to its mitigation action being registered and publicly available.”

The Maldives also said that its mitigation efforts should be “internationally measured, reported and verified.”

Under the Copenhagen Accord, countries should inform the UNFCCC of their emissions reductions targets by January 31st.

The Maldives’ pledge is the most ambitious mitigation target so far submitted under the Copenhagen Accord.

“Climate change threatens us all. If we don’t act now, we will lose the rainforests, lose the coral reefs and, potentially, lose human civilization itself,” said President Mohamed Nasheed.

“The world is wasting billions of dollars per year burning dirty fossil fuels; money that could be saved by switching to clean energy.

“New technologies allow us to both develop and maintain a healthy environment. It is time mankind moves into the Green Age,” the President added.

The Maldives is already working with renewable energy companies and bilateral partners to build wind farms and install solar power capacity.

In its submission to the Copenhagen Accord, the Maldives stated that it is also undertaking detailed work on the implementation of its carbon neutral policy.

Although the Maldives’ submission is voluntary and unconditional, the country will register a request for technological, financial and capacity building support for the implementation of its carbon neutral plan.