THE Department of Natural Resources and the Environment yesterday (Wednesday) held its National Stakeholders Consultation, in an effort to formulate Guyana’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) on Climate Change for presentation at the United Nations Change Conference in Paris, France in December.INDCs are key to the Paris climate agreement, in that they demonstrate a country’s intent to decarbonise their economies, and invest in resilience, the Ministry of the Presidency said in a release.

The event was held at the Grand Coastal Inn, and saw in attendance Adviser on the Environment, Rear Admiral Gary Best; Minister of Governance with responsibility for Natural Resources and the Environment (NRE), Raphael Trotman; Permanent Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources, Joslyn McKenzie; Adviser on Sustainable Development at NRE, Clayton Hall; Head of the Guyana Energy Agency, Dr. Mahender Sharma; and former Presidential Adviser and Head of the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission, Andrew Bishop.
Also in attendance were representatives of various organisations, such as the European Union (EU); Conservation International Guyana (CIG); the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC); the Iwokrama International Centre; and the Guyana Human Rights’ Association (GHRA).
Minister Trotman, who declared the discussion open, told the representatives that the engagement was not only timely, but also needed.
Cabinet, he said, had mandated that a task force be set up to prepare Guyana for the Conference in Paris, and that it was out of this task force that a draft document had come.
To arrive at a final document, however, meant that a forum needed to be held so as to obtain comments, criticisms and suggestions on how the draft could have best been improved.
According to the minister, it is always in the best interest of the country for national stakeholders to be allowed to give their input and advice on a matter of such importance.
Said he: “We are happy that this engagement is taking place. All of you are well aware of the need for Guyana to have an Intended Nationally Determined Contribution. You are all well aware of matters of climate change and adaptation, and about upcoming meetings which culminate in December…
“We felt that this should be brought here for you to give your input and take a position. You don’t have to agree; the important thing is that you have a position on the matter.”
As PS McKenzie of the Department of Natural Resources observed in his presentation, climate change is one of the defining global challenges of our time, and poses a serious threat to the well-being of humanity and the security of peoples and States.
Its adverse impacts, he said, are being felt by countries the world over, whether developed or developing, and as the fight must be aggressive.
Noting that it is in this regard that the INDC is crucial, McKenzie said:
“The INDC should provide a clear signal to the general public, and of course the international community, that Guyana is fully committed to achieving the paradigm shift towards low-carbon and climate-resilient development.
“The INDC needs to make a long-term commitment to this, making use of both domestic resources and international support… It is essential that Guyana’s INDCs be ambitious, while leading to transformation in the most carbon-intensive sectors and industries.”
Stakeholders invited to participate in the forum shared their thoughts on how best the document can be improved, and even pointed out areas which were not covered in the draft document.
One such invitee was Shyam Nokta, a consultant, who was high in praise for the initiative, saying that the move by the government should be commended.
“I want to thank the government for taking this initiative,” he said. “The draft presentation was excellent, and I think it covers a lot of critical areas as we move towards making a submission from Guyana.”
Meanwhile, a participant named Bernard said that while the presentation was most informative, he was concerned that the initial process did not begin with consultations, and that a document was drafted before it was seen by the national stakeholders.
“If we are going to combat climate change,” he said, “we need the support of everyone. It concerns me that this INDC has been drafted, but we are now coming together to sit as stakeholders.”
He, however, conceded that he was pleased that there is a consultative process being conducted.