Attorney General, S.C Anil Nandlall is currently in Indonesia with a team representing Guyana at the 144th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
The senior Government official addressed the assembly on Wednesday where he highlighted that forests constitute a powerful arsenal in combating climate change.
It is against this backdrop that the Attorney General emphasised that forest-rich countries (such as Guyana) must be provided with the incentives necessary to keep their forest intact and to reduce deforestation and forest degradation.
“Deforestation contributes 16 per cent to annual global emissions and in recognition of the ecosystem and climate services provided by forests, it is imperative that we finalise the rules for carbon markets and REDD+ to properly value tropical forests and the climate services which they provide,” he said
He also said that the pledge made 10 years ago to provide a sum of $100b per annum to support climate actions must be met as he said that “dishonoured pledges are a recipe for disaster.”
The AG also urged all countries to set more ambitious goals to reduce emissions.
Furthermore, he said the Government will continue to enact laws and regulations, promulgate and implement policies on climate change and promote low carbon development in every area of national life.
Meanwhile, Opposition Chief Whip Christopher Jones in his address to the assembly highlighted that Guyana is playing a role in combating climate change.
“Guyana is what we call a net forest sink that is our forest sequests more carbon than the country’s human activities generate. From the period 2015 to 2020, the Guyana government enacted a green state strategy. The Green State Development Strategy vision 2040 provides the comprehensive development policy to guide the public investment over the next 20 years.” he noted
The theme this year for the Inter-Parliamentary Union is: Getting to Zero: Mobilising Parliaments to Act on Climate Change.
