Plans to make tourists visiting the Maldives pay a tax for the environment have been praised by campaigners.

President Mohammed Nasheed recently revealed a scheme that would see tourists charged £1.80 in green tax per day when visiting the island.

This would be used for carbon offsetting purposes, with the money being put back into climate change initiatives.

According to carbonfootprint.com, this is a step in the right direction for the travel industry.

John Buckley, managing director of the website, said: “Anything that is helping to fund projects that reduce carbon emissions is a good idea.

“The other benefit of it is that it will make people think as well. It will help educate the people that are travelling to these places, so that’s good.”

He went on to suggest that the public will be open to ideas such as this because responsibility for reducing carbon footprints is now being shouldered by everyone.

President Nasheed presented his plans at the Australian National Carbon Conference.