Via UN News Center, I’ve just learned that the small Indian Ocean island nation of the Maldives has pledged to become the first country in the world to go carbon-neutral.
This is significant because Maldives is probably the most vulnerable nation in the world to climate change. Some 400,000 inhabitants live on small islands that rise no more than six feet above sea level. Even the most modest sea-level rise could literally wipe the country off the map. Of course, compared to major economies of the world, Maldives is responsible for a negligible amount of carbon emissions. Still, it is heartening to see that the country with the most at stake in climate change is willing to lead by example.
Photo from flickr user romsrini