GUYANA continues to share in the international spotlight. The most recent manifestation of which was the participation of President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and other hemispheric leaders at the IX Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, United States.

Guyana and the Caribbean stand to benefit significantly from a number of initiatives emanating from the summit, especially in the area of climate change and clean and green energy. This assurance was given by US Vice-President Kamala Harris, who said that the United States will work with Caribbean countries to identify new, clean-energy projects. The US will also provide technical assistance to ensure that the projects are viable and appealing to investors.

According to Vice-President Harris: “We will bring them [investors] on road shows to showcase, and we will improve access to development financing which will make these projects a reality. We will engage with the private sector at every stage of this work because their involvement is essential to making this productive and meaningful.”

These positions are fully congruent with that of the PPP/C administration which had, over two decades ago, embarked on a Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). It will be recalled that the LCDS was first initiated under the presidency of Dr Bharrat Jagdeo. It has since been modified to take into account the new and changing dynamics of the economy, following the discovery of oil in commercial quantities.

According to President Ali, the revised LCDS 2030, which is currently in draft, sets out a vision for rising to the new challenges. The current and first draft is intended as the basis for a national consultation on how the country can re-double efforts to build a low-carbon economy and a new platform for a future economy.

As pointed out by President Ali, the LCDS 2030 continues to propel Guyana on a pathway started in 2008 when we were the first developing country in the world to put together and publish a Low Carbon Development Strategy. The revised strategy is now in its discussion stage, in which the inputs from all stakeholders are being sought before a final draft is placed before the National Assembly.

Climate change remains an existential threat to the entire planet, but more particularly to low-lying island states which are much more vulnerable to rising sea levels. This observation was reinforced by the US Vice-President who noted that the Caribbean is on the frontline of the crisis.

This conversation comes at a critical moment as several countries in the region are in the process of transitioning their energy systems to more modern, clean and renewable energy. Guyana has already set in train a new energy mix which, in the coming period ahead, will see a combination of energy forms, including hydroelectricity, solar, gas, and wind.

These are not only renewable and clean but are much more competitive than fossil-based fuel, which has been financially burdensome, especially given the fluctuating prices of fuel on the world market.

President Ali must be commended for the proactive role he is playing on the international stage to advance not only the interest of Guyana, but the interest of the Caribbean region and the Americas as a whole. Guyana’s international image has been greatly enhanced by the strong advocacy role of President Ali in a number of key and critical areas such as climate change; energy security; food security; preservation of democratic institutions and values; human rights; enhancing economic competitiveness, trade & investment among others.

The IX Summit of the Americas, held under the theme, ‘Building a Sustainable, Resilient and Equitable Future,’ is mutually beneficial for all countries in the hemisphere, especially at this time when the future of the region is under threat from climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and food insecurity.
There is much more to be gained from a shared vision on the way forward.