Maldives Urges Global Action to Close Climate Ambition Gap at COP30

The Maldives has called for urgent global action to bridge the gap between climate ambition and delivery, emphasising the need for accessible, grant-based finance for vulnerable nations.

The call was made by the Maldives’ Special Envoy for Climate Change, Ali Shareef, who delivered the national statement at the High-Level Segment of the 30th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30) in Belém, Brazil.

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Speaking on behalf of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, Shareef expressed the Maldives’ appreciation to the Government of Brazil for hosting COP30 in the heart of the Amazon. He highlighted that the conference is taking place amid significant global uncertainty and coincides with the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, serving as a reminder of the need to demonstrate that multilateralism can still deliver.

The Special Envoy noted the widening gap between global ambition and action, pointing out that despite decades of negotiations, the world remains off track to meet the 1.5-degree Celsius target. He emphasised the Maldives’ leadership, citing the submission of its enhanced Third Nationally Determined Contribution earlier this year, which strengthens emissions-reduction measures and safeguards climate-exposed sectors through 2035.

Shareef also stressed the urgent need to advance the New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance, reiterating that adaptation must be treated as a global priority alongside mitigation. He called for accessible, predictable, and primarily grant-based finance for vulnerable nations and reaffirmed the Maldives’ appeal to triple adaptation finance by 2030.

Concluding his statement, the Special Envoy warned that vulnerable populations face a threat to their survival and underlined the importance of negotiations to protect both the present and the future. He affirmed that the Maldives stands ready to act and urged international partners to join in these efforts.

Ali Shareef is attending COP30 as Head of the Maldives Delegation, leading the country’s engagement across high-level events and participating directly in negotiations on behalf of the Maldives.