Maldives outlines plans to become first carbon neutral

The Maldives has made "significant progress" towards becoming the world's first carbon neutral country, according to the its President, Nasheed Mohamed. Speaking at the Six Senses SLOWLIFE Symposium at Soneva Fushi resort last week, President Nasheed outlined several landmark achievements of the last 12 months.

The government has drafted a carbon neutral energy plan, targeting a 60% reliance on solar energy by 2020, which will achieve an 80% cut in carbon emissions without raising electricity costs. Part of the process requires electricity consumers to become generators. A Maldivian hotel chain became the first enterprise to sign a contract with the state government under which it will supply solar power to the grid.

Transport will also figure heavily in carbon neutral efforts. The country's Transport Ministry is developing a new import regime whereby the electric car will be available at one third of the price of petrol-fuelled vehicles, and new policies will encourage the uptake of renewable energy and marine transport. This move will be given financial backing with a government pledge to spend 2% of national income on renewable energy deployment.

While the President does not expect to change the world, he hopes to act as an example to larger nations. "If we can demonstrate a low carbon development strategy that can be copied elsewhere, it will be a step in the right direction," he said.

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Gopinath S
Chief Executive
nRG Consulting Services, Bangalore
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