Maldives urges rich countries to rapidly ratify Paris climate agreement

Environment and energy minister of small island state, one of the countries most at risk of global warming impacts, says 'no time to waste' on Paris deal

Rich countries must ratify the climate change agreement reached in Paris last December, one of the world's most at-risk nations has warned.

Thoriq Ibrahim, environment and energy minister of the Maldives, told the Guardian that there was "no time to waste", in ratifying the agreement that was reached more than six months ago, and that it should be a matter of urgency for industrialised countries.