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Aminath Shauna

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Maldivian activist and government administrator
Her ExcellencyAminath Shauna
އާމިނަތް ޝައުނާ
Official portrait, 2021
Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology
In office
5 May 2021 – 17 November 2023
PresidentIbrahim Mohamed Solih
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byThoriq Ibrahim
Personal details
BornShauna Aminath
(1985-01-31) 31 January 1985 (age 39)
Political partyMaldivian Democratic Party
EducationWestminster College
ProfessionPolicy advisor

Aminath Shauna (born 31 January 1985) is a Maldivian politician and former Minister of the Environment, Climate Change, and Technology of the Maldives.

Early life

Shauna is a native of the Maldives. She began activism in the ninth grade, where she spoke out against government policies in a school debate. She attended Pearson College UWC in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, for two years and earned her bachelor's degree from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri in 2008. She worked for former president Mohamed Nasheed and was president of the Maldivian Democratic Party's Youth Wing.

Government work

Deputy Under Secretary, and Under Secretary, The President's Office, 2008–2012

From 2008, Shauna worked in President Nasheed's administration as Deputy Undersecretary, and later Undersecretary, for policy in the President's Office. Her portfolio included climate change, and the Maldives government worked to show the world how much climate change and the sea level rise would effect the Maldives. In 2009, President Nasheed famously held a meeting of his cabinet underwater to highlight the threats of rising seas to the low-lying Maldives.

The military forced Nasheed to resign on 7 February 2012, in an alleged coup d'état. Shauna was arrested on 17 July 2012 during a public protest against the resignation. She was released five days later upon the conditions that she not participate in protests for the next twenty one days. Shauna was arrested on several other occasions as police forces broke up peaceful demonstrations and rallies.

Policy Secretary, The President's Office, 2018–2021

In November 2018, shortly after assuming office, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih appointed Shauna as Policy Secretary at the President's Office. During this role, Shauna was responsible for oversight of the implementation and coordination of government policies, as well as advising the President on policy issues.

Minister of the Environment, Climate Change, and Technology, 2021–2023

In May 2021, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih appointed Shauna as Minister of the Environment, Climate Change, and Technology for the Maldives, a position that also included the energy brief.

During her time in office, Shauna spearheaded policies that led to a tripling of investments in renewable energy, a national phase out of single-use plastics, and a large expansion in the country’s network of protected areas, including coral reefs, sandbanks, uninhabited islands, mangroves, and surf breaks. Shauna also led the Maldives’ delegation during UN climate talks, helping to position the country as a key global advocate for climate action.

In 2021, the President of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), Alok Sharma, appointed Minister Shauna to facilitate ministerial negotiations on adaptations under the COP agenda, together with Spanish Environment Minister Teresa Ribera. Shauna and Ribera were re-appointed to the role at the COP27 negotiations in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt.

Also at the 2022 UN COP 27 negotiations in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, Shauna, representing the Maldives Government, played an instrumental role in the establishment of a Loss and Damage fund, to help developing countries rebuild after a climate disaster strikes, or following other losses and damages caused by climate heating.

In October 2023, Shauna published an op-ed in The New York Times arguing that small island developing states, such as the Maldives, struggle to adopt renewable energy because of the high cost of borrowing money to finance such projects. She called for greater international support to underwrite the risks associated with clean energy projects in developing countries, citing the example of a successful World Bank-supported solar project in the Maldives, in which the Bank underwrote risks associated with the investment, leading to a 1/3 drop in the price of the solar power produced.

In 2020 Shauna was recognised as a 'Young Global Leader' by the World Economic Forum.

In 2023, Bloomberg named Shauna as a ‘New Economy Catalyst’.

Activism

Aminath works for the Maldivian Democratic Party as a member of the party's National Council. She was previously president of the party's youth wing. She is active in voicing her concerns for her country and climate change. Some of her early work can be seen in the documentary The Island President, which follows the story of former President Nasheed.

References

  1. "Shauna Aminath Helps Remake Maldives Government". Davis UWC Scholars. 2008. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  2. "Fighting for Democracy: Westminster Alumna Shauna Aminath". Westminster College News. Westminister College. 17 October 2013. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  3. Geiger, Abigail (20 March 2013). "Maldives' Shauna Aminath describes her path to activism at Westminster College". Columbia Missourian. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  4. "Cabinet makes splash with underwater meeting". NBC News. Associated Press. 17 October 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  5. ^ Wycliff, Edward (18 July 2012). "Maldivian Democratic Party Youth President Arrested". HuffPost. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  6. "H.E Aminath Shauna". Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  7. "President appoints two new Cabinet Ministers and Policy Secretary". The President's Office. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  8. "Aminath Shauna". ORRAA. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  9. Shaushath, Mariyam (10 November 2021). "Shauna tasked with facilitating ministerial negotiations under COP agenda". PSM News. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  10. Shoukry, Sameh (16 November 2022). "Letter to Parties and Observers" (PDF). United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  11. Schonhardt, Sara (22 December 2022). "Inside the final moments of loss and damage at COP". E&E News. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  12. Schonhardt, Sara; Mathiesen, Karl (21 November 2022). "How vulnerable countries finally got a fund for climate damage". Politico. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  13. Aminath, Shauna (10 October 2023). "How One Tiny Island Nation Is Replacing Fossil Fuels With Renewable Power". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  14. "Meet our Young Global Leaders for 2020". World Economic Forum. 11 March 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  15. "Bloomberg New Economy Announces 2023 Catalysts". Bloomberg New Economy. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  16. Shenk, Jon, The Island President, OCLC 914226214
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