Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Shahid has said that the ambitions of climate change can only be realized with access to adequate, predictable and sustainable finance.

Speaking at the Virtual Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) Leader’s Event, Minister Shahid said that the appointment of the Former President and Speaker of the Maldives Parliament, Mohamed Nasheed, as the CVF Thematic Ambassador, makes the work more complete and increases the efforts against climate change.

Eleven years after the CVF in the Maldivian capital, the Maldives renews its call for scaled up ambition to tackle climate change by submitting stronger and more enhanced NDCs, and reducing emissions to keep the global temperature increase within 1.5 degrees.

“Maldives has continuously emphasized its immediate existential threat – to us, other small island states and coastal communities. Our highest land elevation is 1.2 meters and 98 per cent of our national territory consists of the ocean. Sea-level rise, unpredictable weather and other environmental phenomena caused by human activity will seal our country’s fate to that of the history books.” The Foreign Minister said.

He said that Climate change does not recognize borders and does not discriminate. And so we must continue to walk the talk and the CVF must continue to stand out due to our willingness to match our words with meaningful action, despite our many limitations. The time to do better has long passed and the time for more ambitious action is right now.

“However, this ambition can only be realized with access to adequate, predictable and sustainable finance. The share of this finance is far too less for the most vulnerable communities to climate change. This needs to change for the better.” Minister Shahid said.