President Nasheed of the Maldives Speaks at Copenhagen Climate Change Summit

Speaking last night at the climate change summit in Copenhagen, President Mohammed Nasheed of the Maldives gave a speech that moved many environmental activists around the world.  He compared the plight of the Maldives to Gandhi’s plight in India and as far as environmentalists are concerned, President Nasheed is now something of a rock star.  The transcript of his speech follows:

Full text of Mohamed Nasheed’s speech as given at Klimaforum, 14 Dec. 2009

Mr McKibben, fellow environmentalists, ladies and gentlemen,

Four years ago myself, and many fellow activists, sat in solitary confinement in Maldivian prison cells. We sat in those jail cells not because we had committed any wrong. We sat in those cells because we had deliberately broken the unjust laws of dictatorship. We had spoken out for a cause in which we believed. That cause was freedom and democracy.

There were times, sitting in that prison, when I felt more alone than you can imagine. There were times when I started to believe the doubters, who said the Maldives would never become free. Sometimes it felt like the doubters were right. The dictatorship had the guns, bombs and tanks. We had no weapons other than the power of our words, and the moral clarity of our cause. Many democracy activists like us had vanished, forgotten by history, their struggle a failure.

But, in spite of the odds, we refused to give up hope.We refused to listen to the voices of doubt and discouragement. We refused to be swayed by those who could not see that change was on the way. And we were right to stand up for what we believed.

We won our battle for democracy in the Maldives. I stand before you today as the first democratically elected President in the history of my country.

The path to democracy in the Maldives was not straight-forward. It was bumpy and full of turns. But we were determined that no matter how difficult the terrain, we would reach the end of the road. And we succeeded in our cause.

Four years later and a continent away, we meet here to confront another seemingly impossible task. We are here to save our planet from the silent, patient and invisible enemy that is climate change.

And just as there were doubters in the Maldives, so there are doubters in Copenhagen. There are those who tell us that solving climate change is impossible. There are those who tell us taking radical action is too difficult. There are those who tell us to give up hope.

Well, I am here to tell you that we refuse to give up hope. We refuse to be quiet.We refuse to believe that a better world isn’t possible.

I have three words to say to the doubters and deniers. Three words with which to win this battle. Just three words are all I need. You may already have heard them. Three – Five – Oh. Three – Five – Oh.

Three – Five – Oh, saves the coral reefs. Three – Five – Oh, keeps the Arctic frozen. Three – Five – Oh, ensures my country survives. Three – Five – Oh, makes a better world possible.

I am here to tell you that down the road in the Bella Center the Maldives team is fighting to keep Three – Five – Oh in the negotiating text.

They need all the help they can get from you. Please keep supporting them.

And the good news is that we are now part of a growing bloc of nations, all committed to keeping Three – Five – Oh as the central guiding goal of our global survival plan.

These nations need your help and support too.

I am not a scientist, but I know that one of the laws of physics, is that you cannot negotiate with the laws of physics. Three – Five – Oh is a law of atmospheric physics. You cannot cut a deal with Mother Nature. And we don’t intend to try.

This is why, in March, the Maldives announced plans to become the first carbon neutral country in the world. We intend to become carbon neutral in ten years. We will switch from oil to 100% renewable energy. And we will offset aviation pollution, until a way can be found to decarbonise air transport too.

For us, going carbon neutral is not just the right thing to do. We believe it is also in our economic self-interest. Countries that have the foresight to green their economies today, will be the winners of tomorrow. These pioneering countries will free themselves from the unpredictable price of foreign oil. They will capitalize on the new, green economy of the future. And they will enhance their moral standing, giving them greater political influence on the world stage. In the Maldives, we have relinquished our claim to high-carbon growth.

After all, it is not carbon we want, but development. It is not coal we want, but electricity. It is not oil we want, but transport. Low-carbon technologies now exist, to deliver all the goods and services we need. Let us make the goal of using them.

Let us make the goal of reaching that all-important number: three – five – oh.

We believe that if the Maldives can become carbon neutral; richer, larger countries can follow. But if there is one thing I know about politicians, it’s that they won’t act until their electorates act first. This is where you come in.

History shows us the power of peaceful protest. From the civil rights movement, to Gandhi’s Quit India campaign; non-violent protest can create change. Protest worked in the struggle for democracy in the Maldives. And on 24 October, we saw how protests across the world put Three – Five – Oh firmly on the Copenhagen agenda.

My message to you is to continue the protests. Continue after Copenhagen. Continue despite the odds. And eventually, together, we will reach that crucial number: Three – five – oh.

In all political agreements, you have to be prepared to negotiate. You have to be prepared to compromise; to give and take. That is the nature of politics. But physics isn’t politics. On climate change, there are things on which we cannot negotiate. There are scientific bottom lines that we have to respect. We know what the laws of physics say. And I think you know too.

The most important number in the world. The most important number you’ll ever hear. The most important number you’ll ever say. These three words: Three – five – oh. (Three – five – oh) (Three – five – oh).

Climate Change in the Maldives

Climate Change has recently become an increasingly significant issue among both the people of Maldives and the international community concerned with the fact that the Maldives will be one of the first nations severely affected by the phenomenon. These concerns led to climate change being addressed recently in a meeting held between the leader of Maldives, President Mohamed Nasheed, and the Indian Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Climate Change, Mr. Shyam Saran.

How is Climate Change affecting the Maldives

The Maldives, an island country made up of atolls comprising a total of 1,192 islands, is known for being the lowest country in the world, where the highest land is only 2.3 m (7½ ft) above sea level, and the national average is just 1.5 m above sea level. Over the last century, global sea levels have risen about 20 centimetres (8 in) because of climate change and further rises of the ocean are predicted, which could seriously threaten the existence of Maldives. In November 2008, President Mohamed Nasheed expressed his concerns about global warming and the possibility of many of the islands being inundated with water from rising sea levels.

India also affected by Climate Change

Noting not only that the fate of both the Maldives and India are linked to climate change, but also that any drastic change threatens the survival of millions of people living in the coastal areas of said countries, both President Nasheed and Special Envoy Mr. Shyam Saran agreed that both Maldives and India could work together in combating climate change.

Climate Change Policies

Presenting several of the Indian government’s policies on environment and climate change, the President was encouraged by their efforts and further stressed the importance of cooperation and support between both countries in working against the threats of climate change. President Nasheed also praised the Indian government’s policies to support new technological advancements in the field of renewable energy, believing that India and Indian companies could be a leader in the field of renewable energy and environment-friendly technologies.

Adaptation was also a topic dwelled upon by the President and the Special envoy, and they discussed that the aim adaptation should be to find ways of achieving better standards of living through sustainable development. Praising the Maldives and its policies on adaptation, both parties found that both countries possessed similar policies on the subject.

As a final note, Special Envoy Saran added that India was prepared to share its new environmentally-friendly and renewable energy technologies with the Maldives. The meeting was indeed a fruitful one, and it concluded with discussions of how to further strengthen the relations between the Maldives and India, and agreeing on a policy of helping each other in the fight against climate change.