The Maldives must not become a nation of beggars, Minister for Housing, Transport and Environment Mohamed Aslam told reporters at the COP15 in Copenhagen.
Aslam said developed countries needed to take responsibility for climate change, but other nations should also contribute.
He said the answer lay in less developed nations finding different paths of development to those of alrerady developed countries, and claimed the Maldives’ decision to become carbon neutral in 10 years was one such example.