PSC endorses Guyana’s GSDS -urges more companies to ‘go green’

DPI, Guyana, Sunday, May 13, 2018

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) has endorsed the Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) and is committed to lending support to its development and implementation. This was according to Chairman Edward Boyer.

During his address to a GSDS workshop, on May 10, Boyer urged more companies to ‘go green’. He noted that responsible businesses can be more successful if they pursue knowledge and practices that can lead to more environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible decisions. This, in turn, he noted, will help to preserve the environment.

Boyer explained that companies can make a concerted effort to reduce negative environmental impacts by improving efficiency and reduce energy consumption, using sustainable materials and eliminating waste, complying with environmental regulations and purchasing green products, equipment and services.

He said, “You have to be ahead of the curve. If certain green laws aren’t in place, they soon will be and we are seeing it in Guyana in terms of packaging…Increasing energy efficiency saves on utility. Reusing existing materials in creative ways means that fewer dollars are spent to create products. Streamlining transportation saves the earth and a substantial amount of money. Therefore, I challenge you, my fellow businessmen and colleagues, to make the changes in going green.”

Already, some businesses and companies have adopted the initiative. Demerara Bank Limited has already switched to solar panels to generate electricity. “I can tell you when you enter the bank, you will feel the difference,” Boyer noted.

Therefore, he is urging commercial and retail banks to allocate funds at “encouraging rates”, for individuals and companies who wish to pursue green sustainable projects.

The PSC chairman also asked that the government channel more revenues to the green sectors including agriculture and tourism, once Guyana starts to benefit from the first oil in 2020.

The GSDS will guide Guyana’s economic and socio-cultural development over the next twenty years, by laying the foundations for inclusive green economic and social growth, provide a roadmap for achieving the GSDS and outline a long-term vision for a wealthy and equitable future.

 

By: Synieka Thorne.

Image courtesy of Jules Gibson