Search

A 2007 assessment intended to track the progress of Maldives on 13 UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets revealed that considerable efforts are still needed to achieve environmental targets.

Over the review period, approximately 85 per cent of total expenditure was devoted to public and social services, including environmental protection.

The Environment Protection and Preservation Act (Law 4/93) is the key legal instrument guiding formulation of environmental policies, rules and regulations that are deemed necessary for environmental protection and preservation.

In March 2009, the President unveiled a plan to make Maldives the first carbon-neutral country by virtually eliminating the use of fossil fuel by the year 2020 and putting in place a new renewable electricity generation and transmission infrastructure with 155 large wind turbines, half a square kilometre of rooftop solar panels, and a biomass plant burning coconut husks.

The Government is working to comply with the eligibility criteria for the EU's GSP+ scheme (special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance).

The President intends to create a sovereign wealth fund to finance the Government’s more immediate environmental objectives linked to global warming and the consequent rise in sea levels (e.g. relocation of the population).

The Maldives’ tax system needs to be reorganized in order to generate sufficient revenues for the authorities to implement their envisaged environmental programmes and create a sovereign wealth fund.

Law on export and import of 1979 provides for some tariffs on environmental grounds.

The Government has proposed in June 2009 amendments to the Law on export and import of 1979 intended to address three broad policy considerations which include economic development objectives, environmental objectives and WTO obligations during its formulation.

Exports of certain marine species are prohibited due to environmental reasons.