Combatting climate change, ensuring sustainable livelihood critical to post-pandemic recovery – President Ali

His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, says the fight against climate change, while ensuring sustainable livelihood, is critical to post-pandemic recovery.  

The President made the statement during his address at a high-level roundtable on the Extractive Sectors, Extractive Industries and Sustainable Development.

The Head of State told the virtual confab that there is an “urgent need” to ensure that post-pandemic recovery does not eclipse the commitments of nations under the Paris Agreement on climate change, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The President said the extractive sectors are pivotal to the post-pandemic recovery, noting that there is a model for the sustainable development of the sectors in order to mitigate the effects of climate change.

For many small states like Guyana, President Ali said the extractive industries remain an important lifeline. These industries, he noted, are vital sources of investment, growth and foreign exchange, to support the livelihood of a large number of citizens.

Notwithstanding this, the President recognised the urgency of mainstreaming environmental protection and sustainable practices in those sectors.

“Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy prioritises actions and aims to transform Guyana’s economy into a low carbon sustainable development trajectory, while simultaneously combatting climate change.

By adopting this strategy, Guyana’s forests will continue to provide environmental services to help to mitigate climate change… The strategy is an example of the type of action being taken by small states, to help reduce their carbon footprint and provide the world with environmental and ecosystems.”

The President said the success of these efforts depends on the degree of international financial support. Without such support, Dr. Ali said, the commitments by small states under the Paris Agreement will be derailed.

“Guyana takes the opportunity to reiterate its appeal of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the third international conference on financing for development; greater grant-based financing for adaption and the establishment of the climate change vulnerability fund; greater ambitions on a nationally-determined contributions of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change; and the operationalising of the REDD+ mechanism for trading in carbon credit.”

With the support of the international community, President Ali said the extractive sectors will ensure that post-pandemic recovery does not derail sustainable development or the efforts to stem the climate crisis.