Minister of Environment, Climate Change, and Technology Aminath Shauna has stated climate change is an everyday battle for the Maldives.
In an interview with Channel 4 News, Minister Shauna said she remains hopeful of climate action, as there is no Plan B for the Maldives, and there is no other country that Maldivians can go to if the crisis worsens. The minister noted that Maldivians have to live with the impacts of climate change, which have eroded coral reefs and impacted freshwater supplies. She said the impact of climate change is occurring now in the Maldives but that she remains hopeful of climate action because there is no other option for Maldivians.
Minister Shauna also cited the report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stating that countries have two to three decades to reverse climate change. She noted the Maldives has 98 months to halve the country's emissions to keep it within 1.5 degrees Celcius and that the consequences of not achieving these goals are countries like the Maldives and Tuvalu being inundated and becoming uninhabitable.
Furthermore, Minister Shauna said no country should be exempt from taking responsibility for the climate crisis, including the Maldives. In this regard, the minister highlighted the various pledges made by the Maldivian government including becoming net-zero by 2030 and phasing out single-use plastics by 2023.
Minister Shauna added the Maldives has protected 13% of its coral reefs but the country needs urgent action from the global community. She warned that the 400,000 people living in the Maldives might become climate refugees if emissions are not halved in 10 years.