The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, gets underway on Sunday in Glasgow, Scotland, and during its participation there, Guyana is expected to outline a “realistic and achievable” emissions reduction plan. Making this disclosure was Head of State, Irfaan Ali.
Speaking with members of the media today, Ali articulated that Guyana will be participating fully, both at the political and technical levels.
The Head of State further explained that the focus for Guyana at COP26 will be on four themes: enhanced country commitments on forest and land use, including reducing deforestation and accelerating forest restoration; scaling up finance and investment including private sector finance; sharing actions towards sustainable production and consumption; and; support for local people and stakeholders. “We intend to signal our commitment as every other nation that we all have a responsibility to climate change but it must be differentiated,” expressed Ali. Towards this end, the President said Guyana’s emissions reduction ambition plan, at its core, will be realistic.
The Head of State said, “…When I say realistic and achievable, we can’t say Guyana will be 100% on renewable energy by 2025 or by 2030 when there is not a single project in the renewable energy pipeline. If we were to achieve that then we should have already had, nearing completion, the Amalia Falls Hydro Project and other major investments in alternative energy sources…”
Further to this, Ali spoke to the need for COP26 to address accessibility to financing or mitigation and adaption of small island developing states. Towards this end, he said Guyana will pursue initiatives to strengthen and expand the market for the sale of carbon credit and renew calls for the implementation of the commitment made by G20 nations such as China and the USA in providing $100B pledge for climate financing to developing states.
Additionally, the President said Guyana will endorse the Glasgow Declaration on forest and land use which includes strengthening national efforts for forest conservation, ecosystem, and accelerated restoration; promoting development policies and strategies that foster sustainable development; reducing vulnerability; building resilience, and enhancing resilient rural livelihoods; greater investments in food security; appropriate technology and infrastructure for hinterland communities and redesigned agriculture policies and programmes to incentivize investment and expansion.
The President was keen to note that Guyana’s participation at COP26 will certainly reestablish it as a leading example for the net-carbon sink.
