President Irfaan Ali said now is an opportune time for a “new world coalition” to bring balance to the international debate around the issue of climate change, food security, and energy security.
In delivering the feature address at the opening of the International Energy Conference and Expo Guyana 2023 at the Marriott Hotel Tuesday, Ali spoke of the inequalities that hinder the growth of developing nations and the double standards that exist. A similar situation exists in Guyana
These challenges, the President stressed, should not be confronted in isolation as he urged the audience to consider the realistic positioning of issues as it relates to global CO2 emissions, based on data which shows that South America, Central America and the Caribbean combined, account for just 3.6% of emissions.
The Head of State underscored the importance of developing countries putting systems in place to ensure that they can continue to progress under changing circumstances.
As a Region, the President said there should be a collective approach to overall development. In Guyana overall approach to development is seen as lopsided as the major political opposition, the A Partnership of National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) and section of trade unions, and other non-governmental organisations have over the last two years have urged the president to inclusive approach to development consistent with “inclusionary democracy” as outlined in Article 13 of the Constitution of Guyana.
At the Conference the president highlighted the drive of CARICOM and its food security measure, which Guyana is spearheading, while he also spoke of other regional opportunities, including the longevity of electricity from natural gas in Guyana, Trinidad and Suriname and the energy corridor between Guyana, Roraima (Brazil) and Suriname.
LOW CARBON DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
President Ali said Guyana demonstrated global leadership on how natural resources can be sustainably harnessed more than a decade ago. He cited the country’s Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030, as a main action in its “development platform”, while explaining how it was enhanced to ensure that Guyana stays “true to morals and principles when it comes to the issue of climate change”.
‘The LCDS is no longer a Guyana document. We are embarking on a mission to make the LCDS a global model for sustainable development because we know what LCDS is capable of” said the president
He also spoke about the country’s drive to protect its forest and to play its part to not only achieve net zero but being carbon negative.
The President reminded that oil and gas is geared to help the country develop its other sectors and his government focus of the next seven years will be placed on building a country that has the competitive characteristics and the broadness in scope to be viable, resilient and sustainable in a world 2030 and beyond.
The proposed Wales gas-to-shore project continues to attract criticism and environmentalists warn of the danger to health such as cancer, if spillage occurs in the water, and the opposition has accused the government of operating in secrecy. The APNU+AFC Members of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul and Jermaine Figuera have submitted a Motion requesting Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat lay over in the National Assembly “all documents relating to the construction of the Wales Gas-to-Energy Project and the Heads of Agreement signed on June 30, 2022.”
Ali however said the Oil and gas and proper policies have ensured that Guyana has an investment portfolio that spans many partners, including the US, UK, China, India and a number of other countries. Some observers feel that President Ali is being convenient because in Opposition they condemned the APNU+AFC oil and gas policies and agreement with ExxonMobil and campaigned on a promise that if they return to government, they will renegotiate the contracts.
GUYANA’S POTENTIAL
The President pointed to the agricultural drive of the country and said that investments in agriculture have enormous potential in Guyana.
“The CARICOM market alone is tens of millions of US dollars in a market that is absolutely accessible to you. We are creating the incentives, the investment vehicle. We’re working on ways in which we can make the cost of capital lower.”
He noted Guyana’s only option up until recently was to import corn and soya for animal feed.
“We set ourselves a target of becoming self-sufficient in five years. Not only are we well on our way to becoming self-sufficient, but we might be in a position to export to the region for the first time. We are not talking about food security in an idle manner.”
The President also spoke about the country’s housing programme, which he said “per capita is one of the strongest” in the region.
He said that while demand has increased, the lending rate has decreased by two percentage points in two years. This is in contrast to the global lending rate for housing.
“We have to make decisions based on the realities that we’re faced with, ensuring that the people in this country have the best possible social services, the social safety nets are there to secure the vulnerable, best world-class education, world-class health services, world-class infrastructure, an economy that stands on many different footings, positioning Guyana to be a global leader on food security, a global leader on climate services, a global leader in energy. That is where we’re taking Guyana in an economy 2030 and beyond.”
The Energy Conference and Expo 2023 will run until Friday, February 17, at the Guyana Marriott Hotel.
