HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon, yesterday reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to the implementation of the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), and assured that it remains on the Administration’s agenda.
Dr. Luncheon, at his weekly post-Cabinet media briefing at the Office of the President, reiterated that the LCDS remains a focus of the administration and the Multi-stakeholder Steering Committee (MSSC) would continue its widespread consultation and representation to oversee the implementation of the LCDS.
He stated that the government hopes that the MSSC would extend its membership and engage additional stakeholders under the Chairmanship of President Donald Ramotar.
The LCDS, the brainchild of Former President Bharrat Jagdeo, is based on four key pillars: Mitigation; Adaptation; Key Low Carbon Sector Developments; and Social improvement/improved livelihoods, especially in indigenous and rural communities.
Meanwhile, Guyana is preparing to submit its second annual report on the Guyana/Norway agreement on avoided deforestation, Dr. Luncheon said.
The report, he said, comprises two components which include Monitoring, Recording and Verification (MRV) which would be done by the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) and another by the Office of Climate Change.
The HPS echoed President Ramotar’s commitment to ensuring that the bilateral obligations in the November 9, 2009, agreement are honoured in a more timely manner.
The president, in keeping with the direction and thrust that Guyana has been pursuing, has indicated his intention to maintain the leadership and to ensure that the momentum of progress in the area of climate change and the LCDS remains with the Office of the President.
“We will play an active role in the process and in the negotiations, particularly those that emanate under the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) as we move forward in the implementation of the LCDS projects,” Dr. Luncheon said.
He added further that the MSSC would convene shortly.