Govt. to transform LCDS into national economy-wide policy

Govt. to transform LCDS into national economy-wide policy – Harmon

Jul 24, 2016 News

Aware that an integrated and holistic approach is needed to address the County’s Climate Change challenges, the David Granger-led Administration is moving to transform the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) into a national economy-wide Policy.

This was disclosed by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, after he recently appeared before the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Natural Resources.

Harmon stated that the government acknowledges the strategy that was articulated by the former regime – the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, however, the focus is now being placed on transforming this strategy into a truly national economy-wide policy that will propel the country along a green economy pathway.

“The government is also aware that actions at the national level must be aligned with our international commitment as a party to the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change, so as to ensure that the country satisfactorily fulfils its obligation.”

The Minister added that this will be facilitated through an institutionalised Climate Change Governance Mechanism for: greater collaboration coordination and communication among actors; monitoring and reporting; and stakeholders’ participation and consultation in decision making.

“We acknowledge what has been done by the previous administration, but that in our view was limited, and what we’re looking at now is the wider issues and this is really what we are going to do. We are moving forward and taking the country forward,”

Harmon said that having recently signed to ratify the Paris Agreement on April 22, 2016 (Earth Day), the government is also seeking to establish and strengthen the institutional and policy framework for climate change; mainstreaming in policy formulation; sectoral planning and programmes; and strategies for all ministries, agencies and departments.

This, he said, will be done at the national and regional level to address Guyana’s Climate Challenges and to increase the country’s resilience. He added that the National Climate actions and solutions will not only seek to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions from actions in the forestry sector but rather, across all sectors and activities, along a low emission development pathway in keeping with Government’s green economy plan.

“In the area of sustainable development, our understanding of sustainable development is on development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations,” the Minister said.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

The Minister said that the government considers science and technology as an important element in transitioning the economy into the green pathway.

“As such, the Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (IAST) has undertaken its mandate; worked with Civil Society, Government Agencies and the University of Guyana through their research to support for faculty members and students to deliver a one-of-a-kind analytical service to the nation.”

Harmon said that the Government is aware that scientific and technological development must be applied to the benefit of the people of Guyana and therefore, the approach to applying science and technology to the daily lives of Guyanese is what the institute will be focusing on.

“So while we look at forward planning, while we look at technological innovations and developments, we must be able to apply these matters to bring that good life that we’re talking about to Guyanese people. So that we find a type of IAST, one that is a bit more proactive, one that just doesn’t sit in the laboratories and do experiments but actually takes the results of those experiments into the communities so that the communities can benefit from that approach.”

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