President highlights Maldives’ heavy dependence on imported fuel
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has stressed the importance of international cooperation in helping the Maldives achieve its renewable energy targets.
The President made the remarks while speaking at the High-Level Dialogue on Clean Energy Transition and Electrification, held on the sidelines of the COP31 climate summit currently taking place in Türkiye.
President Muizzu said renewable energy was particularly important for a country like the Maldives, describing it as an environmentally friendly option that could also provide electricity more sustainably and at a lower cost.
He noted that the Maldives relies heavily on fuel imported from overseas to meet its energy needs, leaving the country vulnerable to disruptions and fluctuations in international oil markets. Reducing this dependence on imported fuel, he said, remains one of the country’s key priorities.
The President stated that the Maldives had set a target in 2023 to transition 33 per cent of its energy consumption to renewable sources. Achieving this goal and expanding renewable energy across the country will require investment in electricity generation facilities and energy storage systems. However, he acknowledged that implementing these plans would be a major challenge.
“Because our country consists of scattered islands, the Maldives has to spend more on establishing and maintaining renewable energy systems than larger countries,” President Muizzu said.
He also noted that the Government had developed a 10-year roadmap to achieve the country’s renewable energy objectives. However, implementing the plan would require international assistance in terms of financing, technology and investment.
President Muizzu reaffirmed the Maldives’ readiness to work closely with international partners to achieve its targets in renewable and environmentally sustainable energy.
COP31, the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, brings together world leaders, climate negotiators and other stakeholders to advance global climate action. For the Maldives, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, the summit provides an important opportunity to call for greater international support, particularly in climate finance, technology transfer and the transition to clean energy.
