Maldives aims to become first carbon-neutral country - Asia, World - The Independent

The Maldives – the island nation threatened by rising sea level as a result of global warming – is attempting to become the world's first carbon-neutral country.

The Independent has learnt that tomorrow President Mohammed Nasheed will reveal details of a plan to achieve full carbon neutrality within 10 years. In doing so, his country of islands in the Indian Ocean, will join a small group of nations racing to be first in what environmentalists have described as "the Carbon World Cup".

Five other countries – Costa Rica, Iceland, Norway, New Zealand and Monaco – have signed up to a UN-backed plan to become zero net emitters but none intend to achieve carbon neutrality as quickly as the Maldives, a nation of island atolls which is highly vulnerable to rising sea levels.

Carbon scam companies: results

Turmoil in the carbon markets threw up two contrasting sets of company results on Thursday, one from trading exchange business Climate Exchange, the other from EcoSecurities, a carbon trader.
Turnover at EcoSecurities, which invests in projects that generate carbon credits under the Kyoto protocol, rose almost tenfold from €7.2m to €69.5m (£64.4m) in the year to December 31. This helped narrow the pre-tax loss from €43.3m to €31.2m.