Declaring that the fate of humanity is at stake, President Irfaan Ali has urged world leaders to make bold decisions on emissions reductions at next week’s COP26 climate conference in Scotland.
Addressing the United Nations’ High-level Thematic Debate: `Delivering Climate Action: for People, Planet & Prosperity’ on Tuesday, Ali said that climate change “continues to be one of humanity’s foremost existential threats”.
He said that it was disturbing that the world is not on track to achieve the global temperature goals set under the Paris Agreement on climate change. He noted that science has emphasized the importance and urgency of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels by the end of this century to avoid irreversible changes in the environment.
“Deep emissions reductions are needed, and needed now if we are to limit global warming to 1.5 °C by the end of the century. We must deliver an outcome at COP26 that demonstrates our resolve to protect human life and biodiversity.
“Delayed climate action is unthinkable. We are faced with no other choice but to act now or consign humanity to doom. Failure to ramp up our overall ambitions will result in higher and unbearable economic and environmental costs”, the President said.
As a new oil producer, Guyana’s emissions plan could come under close scrutiny in Scotland. Dire warning have been issued against new investment in fossil fuels but this country and its partners led by ExxonMobil are proceeding full speed ahead and targeting oil production of as much as one million barrels per day. Guyana is also proceeding with a gas-to-shore-to-energy project which will utilise dirty natural gas and projects such as these will be frowned on in Scotland. The government here has thus far failed to develop a depletion policy to govern the rate at which hydrocarbons are extracted.
The President told the UN event that failure to agree to and take bold and ambitious action will be tragic for all, especially for Small Island Developing and Low Lying Coastal States.
He listed steps that the upcoming climate conference should take:
● COP26 must restore confidence in international cooperation such as that which led to the historic Paris Agreement on climate change.
● COP26 must manifest a revitalized spirit of international solidarity and more equitable sharing of responsibilities, particularly on the part of the world’s largest emitters.
● COP26 must place emphasis on the implementation and honouring of commitments.
● COP26 must result in the transfer of financing and technologies to support mitigation and adaptation in small states.
Ali said that Guyana will continue to play its part in reducing emissions and providing the world with critical climate and ecosystem services.
“Our Low Carbon Development Strategy stands as a model of the significant contributions small States can make in promoting climate action aimed and reducing emissions and increasing climate resilience. Guyana is expanding its Low Carbon Development Strategy into a comprehensive framework to include protection of biodiversity, freshwater management and the protection of the marine economy”, he said.
Critics have said that previous PPP/C governments failed to deliver green energy and the national grid remains mostly fossil fuel-based. Furthermore, as it relates to the protection of biodiversity the government actually greenlighted the removal of large acreages of mangroves on the West Demerara for the installation of a shore base for the oil and gas industry.
Ali ended his address by declaring: “The fate of humanity is in our hands. We must not disappoint. The time for action is now!”
