Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat, who is currently leading Guyana’s delegation to COP27 in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, has met with British Minister Lord Zac Goldsmith where they discussed the expansion of trade in sustainable forest products.
The meeting came on the heels of the launch of the Forest Climate and Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP) on November 7.
Bharrat and Goldsmith discussed the partnership along with Guyana’s revised Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030. During the discussions, Bharrat talked up the country’s experience in forest management and how it is in a position to provide models that could be invaluable for other countries. The Ministers agreed to further discussions between the UK and Guyana, including on expanding trade for sustainable forest products – a topic that Bharrat also emphasised in discussions with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
The Ministry of Natural Resources is leading Guyana’s efforts for greater exports of sustainably harvested timber products, in accordance with European and other global standards for trade.
The newly minted British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak led the launch of the FCLP.
In his address, Sunak said “For too long, the world’s forests have been undervalued and underestimated. They are one of the great wonders of our world… that is why the UK put nature at the heart of COP 26 [in Glasgow in late 2021], and countries home to 90 per cent of the world’s forests committed not just to halting but reversing forest loss and land degradation by 2030.”
While Bharrat represented Guyana at the launch, President Ali also delivered an address.
He said “Ambition to protect the world’s forests has never been in short supply in forest communities and countries. What has been missing is the means to realise that ambition. The Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership can rapidly change this situation – by bringing Heads of Government together to focus on practical solutions. Guyana will play its part in highlighting leadership from forest communities and countries. We will put forward solutions that we know can work because of our own experience. The world’s people do not need more talk, they need action that converts ambition into results, and I hope the FCLP will be a platform to do this.”
Including Guyana and the UK, the FCLP now includes 26 countries and the European Union – which together account for over 33% of the world’s forests and nearly 60% of GDP.
