World will be in “race to the bottom” if every nation takes turn being big polluter - EU Ambassador

World will be in “race to the bottom” if every nation takes turn being big polluter – EU Ambassador

Feb 17, 2022 News

EU Ambassador to Guyana, Fernando Ponz Cantó

Kaieteur News – During the Tuesday opening of the International Energy Conference and Exhibition 2022 at the Marriott Hotel, Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley alluded to the need for countries such as Guyana to be able to develop its resources in the interest of its people as opposed to being told to leave it in the ground. The Prime Minister also noted that even as the world progresses on the transition to renewables, the world will still need fossil fuels in the meantime, therefore, who will produce it?
Ambassador of the European Union to Guyana, Fernando Ponz Cantó, was keen to note that he found this to be a thought provoking contribution by the Prime Minister while noting that it is a salient question that must be asked. Ambassador Cantó proferred, however, that perhaps another key question that ought to be given consideration is who will reap the profits of this production that would be pursued by other nations during the energy transition. “Are we talking about country versus another country or finding the necessary balance between the benefits to the private company and the Government of Guyana…That is another important conversation which I think is absolutely essential,” expressed the Ambassador.
The envoy added, “I think we can all agree that we have to avoid a race to the bottom. Yes, there are countries and companies which have produced a lot and polluted in the past and continue to do so…But it does not mean that everyone has to pollute as much as the greatest polluter…we have a shared responsibility (to reduce emissions)…”
The EU official said he is, nonetheless, pleased that Guyana and its CARICOM sister, Suriname, have still remained committed to their climate targets which involves reaching net zero emissions by 2050.
The Ambassador further noted that Guyana finds itself in a unique situation. On one hand, he explained that the relatively new oil producing State is desirous of developing its oil bounty quickly to lift its people out of poverty while on the other hand, it wants to legitimately protect its environment and fulfill its international commitments on emissions reduction.
The Ambassador said the foregoing is necessary “but the devil is in the detail.” In this regard, he urged Guyana to be steadfast in its approach to efficient oil production while keeping its eyes fixed on the fact that the energy transition goals for each country must be accelerated.
Ambassador Cantó said, “The transition must be fast. It is not something that will happen in 2050 or 2030. It has to happen now, and gradually of course. And I would be happy if at the end of this conference we agree, if we want a safe future for our children then the transition has to be accelerated. This requires far reaching vision and generosity on all sides…we are all in this together and you can count on the EU for its assistance.”
In this regard, he was keen to share that the EU has a wealth of knowledge and experience which can be shared for Guyana’s benefit especially as it relates to its learnings on appropriate energy infrastructure for the future. The envoy was keen to note that modern, integrated and well interconnected infrastructure is the backbone of a strong and resilient market.
Cantó asserted that this is necessary for achieving the targets that the world has set on renewable energy, decarbonising economies and paving the way towards climate neutrality.
Since 2013, the envoy who has been present in Guyana for more than three years, shared that the EU has put in place comprehensive roads to facilitate the build up of infrastructure that is needed. He said this is referred to as the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), a planned network of roads, railways, airports and water infrastructure in the European Union. This newspaper understands that the network is part of a wider system of Trans-European Networks (TENs), including a telecommunications network (eTEN) and a proposed energy network (TEN-E or Ten-Energy).
The Ambassador during his presentation said, “The work we have done on this network has helped to advance energy interconnections within the European Union but also outside of the EU. It has made our energy market more secure and this is particularly important in moments of crisis…It has also made our energy systems more sustainable.”
He added, “Importantly, our policy objectives have evolved with the climate emergency and let’s make that very clear, we are in a climate emergency and we all have a shared responsibility to address it. And this is what has led to the EU Green deal, (an ambitious package of measures ranging from ambitiously cutting greenhouse gas emissions, to investing in cutting-edge research and innovation, to preserving Europe’s natural environment).”
The EU official noted that this is a huge enterprise and expressed hope that lessons on its merits and successes can be shared with Guyana, Brazil and Suriname as they pursue energy related infrastructure.
The official was keen to note that one of the key lessons Europe has learned about infrastructure is that it ought to be prepared for the energy transition, otherwise it will be made obsolete by the energy transition.
“No energy network can work in a sustainable way without a vision for the transition towards cleaner energy. And I see this vision is being put into place as noted by Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo when he recalled during his presentation at the conference that Guyana is committed to net zero emissions target by 2050…,” expressed the Ambassador.
The official then congratulated Guyana for its climate change commitments and urged it to remain steadfast in its mission to achieve net zero by 2050.