Maldives Pressuring First-World Countries to Ratify Climate Change Agreement

The Maldives, one of the countries most prone and vulnerable to the effects of climate change such as sea level rise and super storms, urged industrialized countries to affirm their commitment to the Paris climate change agreement by ratifying it. It has been six months since the famed gathering of nations and less than half have declared their commitment to the 2C control agreement.

More than six months after the International Panel on Climate Change Conference in Paris, one of the world's most at-risk nations is urging first-world countries to do their part of the deal and ratify the agreement.

Nearly 200 countries from all over the globe gathered in Paris last December to tackle the most pressing issues on climate change and possible, long-term sustainable solutions on the increasing global temperature and sea level rise. An agreement was then realized in the conference whereby the countries must not exceed the global warming ceiling of 2C above pre-industrial levels. Like any other international agreement, the countries must then ratify these agreements into their own respective national laws and submit their own instruments of approval to the UN.

Since the event, however, almost only the smaller developing nations have passed the pact into law. A lot of these countries, such as the Maldives, are the least contributors of carbon emissions yet are the most at risk from sea level rise. Meanwhile, among the large industrialized countries, only France had ratified the agreement this month, prompting the smaller nations to cry foul.

To Maldives environment and energy minister Thoriq Ibrahim, France's ratification is proof of just how "seriously the international community considers the agreement in Paris". He added how small island states such as the Maldives had been the first 14 countries to translate the agreement into national laws, and was urging the rest of the countries, big or small, to do the same.

"We have no time to waste," says Ibrahim, "The faster we bring climate change to force, the faster it would be to take the action required."