Latest update December 20th, 2024 4:27 AM
Jun 12, 2012 News
…but Guyana wants to make its mark
The world’s largest environmental forum is to be held from June 20 to June 22 in Rio de Janeiro but it is unlikely that developed countries may want to agree on concrete measures that will mandate them to reduce carbon emissions.
Guyana’s team will be led by President Donald Ramotar. The country will be using the opportunity to press home its case of using its forests to help reduce the impact of climate change, said to be one of the world’s biggest challenges facing Governments.
Yesterday, during a key stakeholders’ meeting in preparation for the conference, government admitted that there is an air of gloom leading up to the conference.
Already, it is not likely that the US President, Barack Obama, will be attending, although U.N. Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and newly elected French President Francois Hollande, are slated to join 60,000 persons in Brazil.
According to Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud, there will be lessons to be learnt at that environmental forum although there is a gloomy feeling pervading the international community.
Past similar United Nations conferences at Durban, South Africa and in Copenhagen, Denmark have taken on “aspirational tones” with countries with critical issues of emissions failing to commit to measures that will help reverse the problems associated with climate change, Persaud said.
However, Guyana remains committed to sustainable development, he told the gathering of stakeholders at the Guyana International Convention Centre, Liliendaal.
Also there were Prime Minister Sam Hinds, Presidential Advisors, Navin Chandarpal and Shyam Nokta, among others. The forum was set to be addressed by President Ramotar but he was engaged in a meeting with the Chinese Vice Premier and was unable to attend.
According to the PM, Guyana remains committed in its course of the Low Carbon Development Strategy, with the issue forcing levels of cooperation for the world to become one.
Nokta noted that climate change remains one of the biggest challenges facing governments. The problem is getting more intense and facing catastrophic proportions. Experts are projecting a temperature rise of between four per cent and six per cent by 2050.
Efforts to mitigate the emissions are far below what should be, Guyana, he said, has a plan and through its Low Carbon Development Strategy has already earned Guyana US$70M and the country may be eligible for more this year, thanks to the Norway/Guyana US$250M deal.
Guyana, he said, is one of the few countries to be receiving monies to avoid deforestation.
The Rio+20 is organized by the United Nations.
The goals of the Rio +20 are essentially to safe guard the planet during the exploding global economic growth and to ensure environmental policies and procedures, become globalized in step with industry and economic growth, and addressing the “potentially catastrophic” gap between the ecological footprints of rich and poor nations.
Peripheral issues like burden on the wealthy vs. poor countries, human rights, water access will also be discussed.
Many are hopeful the conference will lay the foundation for sustainable goals, set targets for consumption and production and governance policies. Others are dismissive, comparing it to the failed Kyoto Protocol attempt to manage climate change.
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