Maldives has increased its renewable energy capacity by 17 megawatts in the first year of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu's Administration, according to Minister of Climate Change, Environment and Energy Thoriq Ibrahim.

Speaking at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) meeting in Abu Dhabi, the Minister revealed that the country's renewable energy generation has risen from 53 to 70 megawatts over the past year.

During his address, Minister Thoriq referenced President Dr Muizzu's commitment at the COP28 Summit in Dubai in 2023 to achieve 33 per cent renewable energy generation by 2028. He noted that projects totalling 170 megawatts of renewable energy capacity are currently under development at various stages

The Minister emphasised that climate change remains one of the most significant challenges facing small developing island nations, calling for decisive action to meet the global target of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

He stressed the urgency for the international community to implement strong measures immediately to safeguard both the global population and the planet's future.