H.E President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated that we must chart our collective path towards a sustainable, safe and equitable future for all. He made this statement while speaking at 'Delivering Climate Action – for People, Planet & Prosperity' a high-level meeting convened by the President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), N.I.I.V H.E Abdulla Shahid.

In his statement, President Solih spotlighted the harmful repercussions of climate change, from unpredictable monsoon patterns to roaring wildfires and devastating floods, stating that the danger had now escalated into a global climate emergency affecting all nations. Emphasising that all this devastation comes from only 1.1 degrees of warming, President Solih indicated that the fate of small islands states now would be the fate of the world tomorrow. He called on all nations to radically change their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to prevent exceeding the 1.5 degrees of warming outlined as the best scenario for a habitable planet.

Speaking further, President Solih expressed his optimism that this event, and the COP26 in Glasgow and the upcoming G20 meeting would steer the world onto a collective course of ambitious climate action. What is required, he said, is big economies working aggressively to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Mitigation is just half of the challenge.

Stressing on the world must collectively ensure that every country has the support necessary to adapt to the impacts of climate change, he stated that the Maldives had taken ambitious measures to achieve Net Zero by 2030 but was dependant upon receiving substantial support and technological assistance from larger nations. He went on to say that the fiscal strains of adaptation and resilience building, along with the economic contraction from Covid-19, had made it increasingly difficult for small economies such as the Maldives to advance their development agenda without proper support.

Before ending his statement, President Solih recalled the letters he had brought with him to the 76th UNGA, from young Maldivian children pleading to protect the environment and their home for future generations. He concluded his statement by emphasising that we must fulfil the demand of today’s youth and future generations to ensure a healthy, sustainable and prosperous future for all.

'Delivering Climate Action – for People, Planet & Prosperity' high-level meeting focused on the gap between current and required technical and financial capacities to achieve the 1.5 degrees target and how that gap can be met. The hybrid meeting aimed to achieve this through showcasing best practices that simultaneously address climate action and the myriad structural challenges exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.