THE Stabroek News and the Kaieteur News are continuing to play politics with climate change.
The Stabroek News yesterday editorialised on the Guyana-Norway climate change agreement trying to suggest, among other things, that Guyana was trying to escape proper accountability and oversight of how the funds will be used.

In the process, it referred to a recent interview by Norway’s Environment Minister Erik Solheim with the Washington Post, choosing to ignore that Mr. Solheim and President Bharrat Jagdeo have basically been making the same points.

Mr. Solheim said Norway is frustrated with the delays in disbursing the funds to Guyana through the World Bank. President Jagdeo has also registered his frustration with the delays.
It seems to me that both countries are saying the same thing – that they are willing partners in the climate change agreement but that there must be innovation by the multilaterals like the World Bank in speeding up the disbursement of the funds once targets are met and verified.

It’s clear to me that the two countries are willing to be innovative but the multilaterals are not moving fast enough to provide the necessary support. I cannot understand why the Stabroek News and the Kaieteur News just can’t seem to get it.

The two countries signed the agreement more than a year ago and both agreed to invite the World Bank to assist in the process.

From all that I have read, Guyana remains committed to abiding by the social, environmental and fiduciary safeguards for the use of the monies so that its model can be replicated by other countries.

The projects to which the funds are being allocated have long been identified in the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and are in no way being rushed.

I remember that these were written up and presented again in the revised LCDS released in May this year, so what’s this fuss about projects being rushed?

I find it amazing that politics can so cloud people’s patriotism. Guyana is poised to receive funds earmarked for the further development of people, yet some people are opposed to this.

What’s wrong with projects for the development of Amerindian communities, like land demarcation and transforming the economies of villages? What’s wrong with developing hydro-power electricity to provide better and cheaper fuel to Guyanese?

Are these critics really interested in the development of the country?