President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has said that he is saddened that the bigger countries are not upholding the 2015 agreement to give USD 100 billion to the at-risk countries to combat climate change.

The largest accomplishment of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNCCC) is the 2015 signing of the Paris Agreement to give USD 100 billion to small countries threatened by climate change starting from 2020.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) ,President Solih expressed disappointment with the lack of realisation of previously-made assurances, alluding to red tape, required studies and paperwork that render the urgency of the situation ineffective and called on major emitters to step up their efforts to make more ambitious climate commitments and to uphold obligations such as the climate financing pledges made at Paris.

“Countries must band together and assist the most climate-vulnerable states to adapt to climate change.” President Solih said. He urged world leaders to agree on stringent accountability measures to ensure that commitments on climate finance are met for vulnerable countries like the Maldives to stand a chance of survival.

Maldives announced ambitious plans to reach net-zero by 2030, with international support, during the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2019. President Solih had called on wealthy nations to help vulnerable nations in capacity building, technology transfers and sourcing finance, remarking on concerning trends in global warming and the rate of sea-level rise. As a founding member of Parley for the Oceans ‘Future Island Nation’ programme, the Maldives had taken several severe measures to reduce and ultimately eliminate the use of single-use plastics in the country, aiming to become a fully plastic free nation by 2023.