Dear Editor,
I have read the recent thoughts put forward concerning the suggestion of approaching the UN Security Council to start the process of compensation to leave the Oil & Gas in the ground. The concerns raised are valid and the current reality of the situation is as has been stated. The permanent members of the UN Security Council do continue to be major producers of Oil & Gas.
What has changed is the momentum behind the shift to alternative energy sources, and the uproar against the Oil & Gas industry has substantially increased. The US has also identified climate change as a National Security issue. US President Biden has made it a top priority and in January former Secretary of State John Kerry was assigned to a new role “Special Presidential Envoy for Climate” and will sit on the US National Security Council to focus his efforts entirely on the issue of Climate Change.
It should also be noted that in February the UK hosted a special session in the UN Security Council on Climate and Security. The issue is also becoming a much higher priority within NATO. As a result of the serious security issues that climate change is raising, the world’s largest militaries are integrating climate change into their national defense strategies and policies. They are also accelerating shifting their energy footprint away from fossil fuels. COP 26, which is the 26th UN Climate Change Conference, will be held in the UK in November of this year and offers the opportunity for new oil producing countries such as Guyana to set an example by putting forward a robust proposal to help reduce the risks in the National Security that vulnerable members of the UN and the permanent members of the UN Security Council will face.
Leading a diplomatic effort to leave discovered oil & gas resources in the ground, while obtaining a substantial level of compensation for doing so may be just what the UN Security Council needs to accelerate a solution to the major problems that lie ahead. Otherwise military might will remain the focus. The choice is before us and the world as to how serious we take the threat of Climate Change and how much cooperation can be achieved in fairly resolving this issue. Guyana does retain the option to responsibly exploit this sector of our national resources in the absence of a fair solution, but we must also keep in mind our own vulnerabilities and that “Prevention is better than a Cure”. This in itself should be a highly motivating factor to guide our Government to make the best long term decision to combat Climate Change.
Sincerely,
Jamil Changlee
Chairman
The Cooperative Republicans of
Guyana