The Government of Guyana holds firm to its intention to forge an improved development pathway through a green economy, Presidential Advisor on the Environ-ment Gary Best said yesterday at the opening of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC)-organised Green Expo and Conference.
Greening Guyana’s economy not only facilitates the well-being of citizens but it also reduces environmental risks and ecological scarcity, therefore the need for the sustainable management of Georgetown is of great importance, retired Rear Admiral Best said.
In order to achieve this, government will utilise both public and private investment funds to drive a green income, thus facilitating the reduction of carbon emissions and pollution, while enhancing resource and energy efficiency, Best added.
He also listed health, protection, production and happiness as key elements which the M&CC should take into consideration as it makes advances towards an environmentally-sustainable city. These four elements allow for integrated waste management, policy building, efficient and sustainable energy use and the changing of the lifestyle behaviours of citizens, he added.
Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Justice Carl Singh highlighted the important role that environmental law and other relevant legislation play as it relates sustainable development in Guyana.
“The environmental problems that we face today are manmade and man has the knowledge, the awareness and the capacity to correct them. The law has given us the authority and the tools to deal with our environment and to protect it. What is needed now is our will and our resolve to be proactive on environmental matters,” Justice Singh said.
Emphasising the importance of sustainable development, he warned that without such, Guyanese would be ultimately laying a foundation for a hopeless future for posterity. “We should not burden our children with our environmental sins and we should, therefore, act now to protect their future,” he noted.
Congratulating the M&CC for organising the event and acknowledging Guyana’s recent oil discovery, US Ambassador to Guyana Perry Holloway urged Guyana to diversify its energy portfolios to include renewable forms of energy. “I pledge to work with government officials, members of the private sector, NGOs and others, to advance the goals of responsible and sustainable resource development and a clean energy future for Guyana and its wonderful people,” he said.
According Holloway, with Guyana’s abundance of wind, sun and water, renewable energy is a growth industry and harnessing that potential, would become a game changer for Guyana.
Furthermore, the Ambassador encouraged students to pursue education in environmental studies, particularly in the field of renewable energy.
As part of the conference, presentations were made on aspects of sustainable development by several local and foreign facilitators, including Ambassa-dor Jernej Videtic of the European Union Delega-tion, High Commissioner Greg Quinn of the British High Commission, as well as Professor Clive Thomas and other representatives of the University of Guyana.
In September, the M&CC had moved to rebrand and revitalise the ‘Garden City’ through physical cleaning and awareness and organising the Green Expo and Conference. The event focuses on the promotion of eco-friendly practices and various conservation methods, both domestic and commercial, but specially targets the manufacturing, food and beverage distributors, electrical, construction and mechanical sectors, and the mining, health and waste management industries.
The conference was held yesterday in the Pro-menade Gardens while the expo continues until tomorrow at Parade Ground.
