Maldives
Energy and Climate Change
House of Commons debates, 5 November 2009, 10:30 am
Alistair Burt (Assistant Chief Whip, Whips; North East Bedfordshire, Conservative)
When he last discussed with the Government of the Maldives the contribution of the UK towards reducing the risks to that country arising from climate change.
Joan Ruddock (Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change; Lewisham, Deptford, Labour)
We attach great importance to ensuring vulnerable countries are engaged in discussions on climate change. At the London-hosted Major Economies Forum on 18 and
Alistair Burt (Assistant Chief Whip, Whips; North East Bedfordshire, Conservative)
I think we were all moved by, and not a little admiring of, the recent cabinet meeting held by His Excellency President Mohamed Nasheed underwater to highlight the plight of his country and show what climate change will mean to them. Following an initiative this year, when he said that his country would go carbon neutral by 2019, the President said that that in itself would not decarbonise the world and save them from annihilation but
"at least we could die knowing we've done the right thing."
Does the Minister believe that following Copenhagen every world leader will be able to say exactly the same, no matter how dramatic it was?
Joan Ruddock (Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change; Lewisham, Deptford, Labour)
I hope very much that that will be the case. We are working tirelessly to that end. Of course, our Prime Minister has said that he will be there, if necessary, to get a deal. There is no question about the Government's commitment. We support the Maldives and encourage it to keep its voice very strong in these negotiations to make the facts available to the world. Their argument is, of course, the most powerful one. If a whole country is to be lost, there can be no more powerful argument than that. We need to keep hearing those messages.