President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih says Maldivians deserve a safe place to live as much as anyone else in the room.
He made this statement at the Commonwealth Leaders at the World Leaders’ Summit, a side-event of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26).
Addressing the state leaders and dignitaries, President Solih revealed that he was not speaking about bleached corals or acidified oceans only when referring to the adverse effects of climate change on the Maldives, but also of the struggles of real people, Maldivian citizens, attempting to live dignified lives while faced with the mounting threat of becoming climate refugees.
Continuing his statement, President Solih stated that now is the most crucial time for worldwide friendship, inclusivity, and cooperation, as climate change is a threat to global security, prosperity, and socio-economic development.
He explained that while the Maldives contributes very little to global greenhouse emissions, the country continues to show leadership and advocate for greater efficiency.
He drew attention to the Maldives’ ambitious plans to achieve Net Zero by 2030, questioning why other nations are not as ambitious as the Maldives in their commitments and plans.
Highlighting that the climate ambitions of the Maldives and other small states are echoed by the Commonwealth, President Solih again reiterated the need for easier access to climate financing.
He said that the current climate finance landscape is a maze that deters the very countries that it is meant to support.
He implored the Commonwealth to step in to make the funds more accessible, hindered now by strict eligibility criteria and high transaction costs, among others. He also urged to scale up the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub.
Ending his statement, President Solih entreated world leaders to make the right decisions, underlining the urgency of the situation at hand and warning of the dependency of millions across the world on the decisions made at COP26
