country since its settlement 1,100 years ago, as deforestation left the fragile volcanic soil vulnerable to the action of wind and water. Long before loss of carbon to the atmosphere became recognised as a problem for the climate, Iceland was taking steps to reverse past damage through revegetation and afforestation—and increasing those efforts will be an important part of achieving climate neutrality.

Getting the most out of a country’s renewable resources does not mean leaving environmental controversy behind. Iceland has discovered this first-hand, sparking numerous major international protests with plans for hydro-electric dams in some of Europe’s last remaining large wilderness areas. Even geothermal power plants can have a significant impact.

“Problem-free energy probably does not exist,” says Olafsson. The government is currently carrying out a detailed study of all the main potential projects, and by ranking them in terms of feasibility, it hopes to prioritize those which cause the least impact, and head off future controversies.

“The problem of global warming should not be seen as giving a free rein to all dams and nuclear power plants, and other low-carbon energy development,” Olafsson concludes. “We always need to look hard at the benefits and problems, and attempt to minimize the effect of energy production on the environment.”

The quest for climate neutrality may not be the most obvious priority you would expect from the Maldives. A more immediate concern would seem to be the fact that the archipelago of more than a thousand islands—with an average height of just 1.5 metres above sea level, faces a very strong chance of becoming uninhabitable as a consequence of sea level rise. To illustrate this point, the country’s President Mohamed Nasheed held his Cabinet meeting underwater in 2009 (see photo on opposite page).

Indeed, the country is investing in protection from the rising ocean as best it can, by building up sea defences, including water breakers and sea walls, and by promoting natural defence through protecting coral reefs. But the Maldives Government is also seeking to be the world’s first country to become fully carbon neutral by 2019.

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“For the Maldives, climate change is no vague or distant irritation, but a clear and present danger to our existence,” says President Nasheed. “Maldivians have lived here for thousands of years. And we don’t want to trade-in paradise for an environmental refugee camp.”

Eliminating the Maldives’ climate footprint is hardly going to put a brake on global emissions—the country’s own emissions are less than 0.1 per cent of the world’s total. But that is not really the point.

The aim of the climate neutral commitment is to show to the world that it can be done—and hopefully, to set an example that could lead to the kind of global action that might give the Maldives a fighting chance of survival. “We have not been part of the climate change problem. But we are determined to be part of the solution,” adds Nasheed.

“By successfully decarbonizing our lo- cal economy, the Maldives can dem- onstrate that going green is not only possible but also profitable.” —Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed

Among the measures being planned to reduce emissions in the archipelago are the construction of 155 wind turbines, an array of half a square kilometre of solar panels, and a biomass plant using coconut husks. Batteries will be used to store the power generated, and renewable electricity will also be used to power transport both on land and at sea.

To offset aviation emissions associated with the island nation’s tourism industry, the Maldives government is considering the purchase of European Union emission certificates, which would then be “retired” or taken out of circulation, meaning that they would not be available for European companies to emit more greenhouse gases. In all, the programme is estimated to cost US$110 million a year to implement, an investment it hopes to recoup within 10 years.

“I hope the Maldives’ carbon neutral example will help per- suade other countries to follow suit. By successfully decar- bonizing our local economy, the Maldives can demonstrate that going green is not only possible but also profitable.”