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Immediate and drastic action is needed to avoid “an infernal global disaster,” Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC said on Wednesday in an address to Parliamentarians around the world meeting for the 144th assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Bali, Indonesia.
“Indifference and inaction equal nothing short of destruction,” he declared, noting that the world is behind in limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Rising temperatures have caused erratic weather patterns in Guyana, with Guyana experiencing more intense rainfall. This has led to a national disaster in 2005, and again last year. Guyana faces a rising Atlantic, adding to the danger that climate change is posing for the country.
“Climate change affects us all – rich, poor, developed and developed States – but its effects are more severe on the poorest and most vulnerable – especially Small Island Developing States and low-lying coastal states. For us, it is a question of survival.”
Mr Nandlall stated that urgent action is required on three fronts.
First, he said all countries must set more ambitious goals to reduce emissions, “and we must honour, to the letter, those ambitions.”
The Attorney General said all countries have an obligation to act, but the world’s foremost polluters have a greater duty to institute steeper emission cuts.
Second, he said the pledge of US$100B per annum, made one decade ago, to support climate action must be met as “dishonoured pledges are recipe for disaster.”
Third, he stated that forests are a powerful weapon in the fight against climate changes. Guyana, which is a forest-rich country, must be given the incentives to preserve their forests and reduce deforestation.
“Mindful that deforestation contributes 16% to annual global emissions and in recognition of the ecosystem and climate services provided by forests, it is imperative that we finalise the rules for carbon markets and REDD+ so as to properly value tropical forests and the climate services which they provide,” he stated.
The Attorney General stated that Guyana remains a net CO2 sink. Guyana’s 18,000,000 hectares of largely intact forest sequester approximately 54 m tons of CO2 every year.
He stated that the forest provides an important ecosystem function in nine countries, including the Amazon. Guyana has some of most extensive forest cover on the planet and one of the lowest rates of deforestation.
The Attorney General further pointed out that Guyana is also part of the Guiana Shield which stores about a fifth of the world’s fresh water and about 18% of the world’s tropical carbon. It also has extremely high levels of biodiversity and endemism – with about 4% of all known animal species and even more bird species.
“Therefore, Guyana is already playing its part in addressing and will continue to do so.
“We will maintain our forests – almost the size of England and Scotland combined, storing 20 gigatons of carbon – a global asset.
“We will work with local communities in conserving, protecting and sustainably managing our forests, biodiversity and freshwater supplies.
“We will decouple economic growth and emissions through a progressively cleaner energy mix with the aim of reducing our carbon emissions by 70% by the year 2030.
“We will invest in low carbon opportunities for jobs, ecosystem services and social inclusion through an expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy,” the Attorney General stated.
He stated that both the government as well as the Parliament will continue aggressively to enact laws, regulations, promulgate, and implement policies on Climate Change and promote low carbon development across all areas of national lives.
“The time for talk is over. It is time to act now. It is only a matter of survival. Act now or continue on the road to definite perdition!”
