Guyana distinguished as an emergent ‘green state’- President at UN General Assembly

Head of State, David Granger speaking today at the 71^st Session of the United Nations General Assembly said Guyana’s natural assets, commitment to sustainable development, contribution to countering the adverse effects of climate change and collaboration with the international community in seeking solutions to global threats has distinguished it as an emergent ‘green state.’

“It is a state that will ensure a secure future for its people in the pursuit of a ‘green’ economy. It is one that is proud of its place as a reliable and cooperative partner in international efforts to protect the earth’s environment.

Guyana recognizes the interlocking objectives of the Agenda and the Agreement. It realizes that the establishment of a ‘green state’ is consistent with building climate resilience while mitigating the effects of climate change. Guyana promises to continue to:

– work towards the Agenda’s goals, particularly, by contributing to limiting increases in global temperatures; and,
– work towards a ‘green path’ of development that is in accord with the Agreement’s nationally-determined commitments.”

 The President also pledged that Guyana will work towards a ‘green path’ of development, in accordance with the Climate Change Agreement’s nationally-determined commitments.

He pointed to the fact that Guyana, as a part of the Guiana Shield, is a net carbon sink, referencing the country as a green canopy of rainforest which envelops more than 85 percent of its land mass, which is the second highest percentage forest cover on earth.

President Granger further told the General Assembly that Guyana’s pursuit of a ‘green path’ is aimed at better understanding how to protect its biodiversity and manage its complex ecosystems, sustainably.

“The Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development (IICRCD) – located in the centre of our country and at the heart of the Guiana Shield, survives and thrives as a testament of Guyana’s commitment to sustainable development and environmental conservation.

Guyana is an important partner in the global environmental movement. It entered into an agreement with the Kingdom of Norway: “to provide the world with a relevant, replicable model of how REDD+ [the mechanism for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation] can align the development objectives of forest countries with the need to combat climate change.” It entered agreements, also, with the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Federal Republic of Germany, the State of Japan and other states and international organizations,” the President told the UN Assembly.

He reaffirmed the country’s its commitment to Goal No. 15 of the Agenda under which UN member states pledged to “protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.”

 The Guyanese leader committed that Guyana will pursue a low carbon growth trajectory to enhance its contribution to the campaign against climate change, through the preservation of its forests, within the ambit of the REDD+ mechanism.

It will also contribute, up to 48.7 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, to the global mitigation effort through a programme of avoided emissions.

Additionally, the President noted that the efforts of small states can be derailed unless there is collective commitment by the greater part of the international community, through collaboration with those states determined to pursue a low-carbon, low-emission path to sustainable development and to constraining the rise in global temperature.