Maldives Calls on G8 Leaders to Show Greater Urgency
Wednesday 09 July 2008
Responding to the Joint Statement on climate change issued by leaders of the G8 meeting in Hokkaido, Japan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives, H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid welcomed the explicit recognition of a concrete target of 50% for emission reductions but decried the lack of urgency and global leadership shown by leaders from the world’s leading industrialized nations. “The Maldives welcomes the G8’s commitment to undertake cuts rather than only to “consider” them as previously. However, the simple fact of the matter is that 50% cuts by 2050 would represent too-little too-late for people in the world’s most vulnerable countries, including the Maldives” said the Minister.
Minister Shahid said that the Maldives is particularly concerned by the lack of a shorter-term target to significantly cut emissions by 2020. “In order to achieve long-term stabilization of greenhouse gas emissions well below 450ppm and global temperature increases well below 2 degrees Celsius, emissions must peak within the next ten for fifteen years” said the Minister. “It is therefore imperative that industrialized countries take action now based on robust short- and medium-term reduction commitments”.
The Minister also noted that 50% reductions by 2050 would be insufficient to save countries like the Maldives from rising seas. “For low-lying Small Islands and coastal communities, 50% is not enough” said the Minister. Climate change is not a future projection; it is affecting people now, right here in the Maldives and all around the planet. It is affecting their lives, livelihoods, and human rights; and these effects are getting progressively worse. It is therefore vital, in order to protect the lives and rights of people in the most vulnerable communities, that the leaders of the industrialized world show leadership and solidarity with people in small developing countries who have contributed almost nothing to climate change and yet who stand to suffer the most from its consequences”.
“That leadership should involve an acknowledgement of their greater responsibility to make necessary short-term and long-term emissions reductions; including a 25-40% cut below 1990 levels by 2020, and around an 80% reduction by 2050. It is also clear that those reductions must be based on 1990 base-levels and not current base-levels”.
“The Maldives, as always, remains optimistic about man’s ability to respond to major challenges such as climate change in a spirit of international and inter-generational solidarity. We all share the same earth and must all live here together in a manner that respects the rights and lives of others. We therefore remain confident that the G8 Statement will form a base that will be built-upon in the coming months and will eventually lead to a successful and effective successor to the Kyoto Protocol by the end of next year”.
ENDS