Vice President urges Commonwealth for ambitious climate finance goal at CHOGM
At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) Climate Breakfast, Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef called for stronger climate finance commitments from the Commonwealth in the lead-up to COP29.
Speaking at the event titled ‘Building Consensus for Climate Finance Targets in the Commonwealth’, held in Apia, Samoa, the Vice President emphasized the urgency of addressing the escalating impacts of climate change on vulnerable nations.
"Our world is witnessing the escalating impacts of the climate crisis – global warming, devastating wildfires, rising sea levels, and extreme weather events continue to affect us, especially the most vulnerable," he stated. The Vice President further highlighted that 2024 is on track to be the hottest year on record, with communities across the globe, particularly those in the Commonwealth, facing severe challenges such as hurricanes and wildfires.
Latheef underlined the significance of the Commonwealth’s role in securing climate finance, especially for small island developing states (SIDS) like the Maldives.
For the Commonwealth, a diverse family of nations, the stakes are particularly high. Many of us are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change. This calls for a unified response to safeguard our future
He stated
Ahead of COP29, which will be held in Azerbaijan, the Vice President urged member nations to unite and push for a new collective quantified goal on climate finance that surpasses the previous target of USD 100 billion per year.
He stressed that the new goal should include sub-targets for loss and damage response, mitigation, and adaptation, with a focus on the needs of developing countries and SIDS.
We need a new collective quantified goal on climate finance that exceeds the previously agreed USD 100 billion per year. A goal which includes essential sub-goals for loss and damage response, mitigation, and adaptation,
Vice President emphasized
He further emphasized the importance of reforming the international financial architecture, which he described as inadequate in meeting the development needs of vulnerable nations.
The Maldives has benefited from the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub, a program that has deployed a Climate Finance Advisor to support the country’s efforts in attracting climate finance.
Vice President Latheef noted that this assistance has been critical in building the Maldives' capacity to establish a Climate Change Fund, and he expressed optimism for continued support from the Commonwealth.
As the world prepares for COP29, Latheef called for greater ambition in updating Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to keep global warming within the 1.5-degree target.
Our own submission will focus on increasing our current ambition,
He announced
urging Commonwealth nations to act decisively to protect both people and the planet.
The Climate Breakfast, organized by the Commonwealth Secretariat, was part of the larger Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
Vice President Latheef is leading the Maldivian delegation at the summit, where climate change remains a key focus.
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