State to achieve 100% renewable power by 2025

State to achieve 100% renewable power by 2025 – President

Apr 24, 2016 News

– 2 Million hectares of forest to be placed under conservation
Guyana recently became a signatory to the Paris Agreement which presents an opportunity for the global community to respond to the challenges of Climate Change.

President of Guyana, David Granger

Signing the agreement on behalf of the state was President David Granger, who in his national statement, dubbed the agreement as “the most ambitious international environmental agreement in modern history.”
The Head of State said that the ‘Agreement’ was signed on account of the country’s recognition for the need of resolute action to combat this challenge.
“We will ensure the deposit of the instruments of ratification this year. Guyana, through the pursuit of a Green Economy, will spare no effort to contribute to both a sustainable future and to an effective global response to climate change.
Guyana is a net carbon sink. Its forests sequester more carbon than the country’s human activities generate. Guyana, with the world’s second highest percentage of rainforest cover (85%), commands important carbon stocks. Guyana, nevertheless, is fully committed to contributing to limiting the rise in global temperature to below 1.5 degrees Celsius” the statement read.
The President, through his statement, indicated that Guyana intends to implement initiatives in the forest and renewable energy sectors, including through the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) Plus programme.
“We will move closer towards a 100% renewable power supply by 2025, conditional on appropriate support and adequate resources. Our proposed commitments, through avoided emissions, can contribute the equivalent of up to 48.7 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide to the global mitigation effort. Guyana is prepared to sustainably manage conserve and protect our national patrimony and place our ecological resources at the service of humanity,” the President related.
Guyana in a short-term, up to 2020 will improve timber monitoring and maintain a high level of timber legality; increase value-added activities in the forestry sector so as to augment carbon storage in long-use wood products; intensify the sustainable management of indigenous communities which own and manage 14% of national territory; introduce a national Emissions Reduction Programme (ERP) to add two million hectares under conservation, encourage more efficient mining and logging activities and implement Reduced Impact Logging(RIL); and invest in solar power, wind power and hydropower to transition more rapidly to renewable sources of energy and reduce the state’s dependence on fossil fuels.
The President during his address to other signatories said that Guyana, by signing the Paris Agreement demonstrates its total commitment to advancing solutions to this pressing global challenge.
“I assure you of Guyana’s continued commitment to implement this historic ‘Agreement’ to make the world a better place for us and for future generations.” The Head of State concluded.