The Maldives cabinet ministers are planning to hold a sub-aqua session to ratify a treaty calling on other nations to curb their greenhouse gas emissions. Some ministers are learning to dive for the first time for this special meeting and will be using hand signals and whiteboards to communicate underwater.

Maldivians only contributed 2.4 tonnes of greenhouse gases per capita in 2005 in comparison to Australia at 18.7 and the USA at 19.9 (source: World Resources Institute). Even considering their small contribution, Maldivians still aim to be a carbon neutral country in just 10 years – something our Australian politicians should consider as they play politics with our proposed Emissions Trading Scheme and Renewable Energy Target Bills that will only ratify a fraction of this effort. A rise in sea level between 18 and 59 centimeters will cause the Maldivians to look for refuge in neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka, India or Australia.

Members of the Maldives cabinet pose with their scuba instructors near the capital Male training for a meeting 6 metres beneath the ocean surface.