Guyana remains a critical player in global climate change discourse

– President Ali states, as Guyanese Embassy opened in Qatar

Guyana is a key player in the global conversation surrounding environmental conservation and climate security.

President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, made this statement when he delivered feature remarks at the official opening of the Guyanese Embassy in Qatar.

“Guyana is leading on the issue of climate change globally. We are the first country to deploy large-scale carbon on the international market, the first country to sign an end-user agreement with Hess Corporation, and a bilateral agreement on the sale of carbon with the Kingdom of Norway. The forest, which is the second-largest forest cover globally, stores 19.5 gigatonnes of carbon. So, as we discuss climate change and environmental services, those discussions cannot be without Guyana as a main player and stakeholder,” President Ali expressed.

Since being elected to office in 2020, President Ali has made it a point to advance Guyana’s climate security, building on the work begun by former president and now Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo.

This includes the release of the Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030, which is an enhanced version of the LCDS 2009, after taking into account a number of local and international developments that focus on investments in clean energy to stimulate low carbon growth, protection against climate change and biodiversity loss.

Last December, the government and Hess Corporation announced an agreement for Hess to purchase high-quality carbon credits for a minimum of USD $750 million between 2022 and 2032, directly from the government.

The agreement will support Guyana’s efforts to protect the country’s vast forests and provide capital to improve the lives of citizens through government investments as part of LCDS 2030.

Guyana has also actively participated in international agreements and initiatives related to climate change. The country has been involved in the United Nations Framework negotiations and has played a prominent role in promoting climate resilience. Guyana continues to honour its commitment to protecting and preserving wildlife and biodiversity, and playing its role in achieving ‘30 by 30’, which is a worldwide initiative for governments to designate 30 per cent of its land and ocean area as protected areas by 2030.