Greater support from main polluters crucial to dealing with climate – Agri Minister

Greater support from main polluters crucial to dealing with climate
change – Agri Minister
Guyana Chronicle, 23 December 2007
http://www.guyanachronicle.com/news.html#Anchor-42145
There is need for greater support from developed countries which are
contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, as a collective
approach is being pursued by all countries, both large and small, to
deal with the climate change phenomenon.

This was highlighted by Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, and
other technical officials who participated in the recently concluded
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
Conference of Parties (CoP) meeting in Bali, Indonesia.

The Minister and team made the remarks during an interview Friday on
the National Communications Network (NCN) ‘Close Up’ television
programme at the NCN Studio, Homestretch Avenue.

Minister Persaud noted that there is a clear understanding of the
impact of climate change particularly on low-lying, vulnerable states,
but there is need for focus on appropriate actions to deal with the
negative impact. It is observed that although there is great
understanding among developed countries which contribute to the
situation, there is reluctance among some of them to commit to
assisting with adaptation and mitigation efforts.

Reference was made to President Bharrat Jagdeo’s rainforest offer in
the services of the battle against climate change which Minister
Persaud pointed out is not handouts, but a call for a viable
market-based mechanism to reward countries that have been practicing
sustainable forestry development through deliberate policies and
strategies.

This is important, since standing rainforests play a significant role
in mitigating the effects of global climate change even when some
countries are guilty of increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Between 18
to 20 percent of greenhouse gas emissions come from deforestation.

One of the main outcomes of the Bali meeting is the establishment of
the ‘Bali Road Map’ which seeks to address key building blocks of a
future climate change regime, including adaptation, mitigation and
technology cooperation and financing the response to climate change.

This is important since it will ensure that a strategy is in place to
tackle climate change following the Kyoto Protocol which will conclude
in 2012. Minister Persaud noted that the ‘Bali Roadmap’ will also
address weaknesses that exist in the Kyoto Protocol.

Chairman of the National Climate Committee, Shyam Nokta noted that it
was expected that the Bali Meeting would have focused on more
definitive positions to deal with climate change; however, it is still
seen as the start of that process.

Major General (ret’d) Joe Singh noted that it was necessary that so
many countries have acknowledged the severity of climate change evident
through their participation at the Bali Meeting. There were
approximately 10, 000 participants at the Conference from more than 100
countries.

The partnership between the Government of Guyana and non-governmental
organisations, such as Conservation International, was emphasised,
while it was noted that Guyana alone cannot be a loud voice in tackling
climate change, and therefore the need for groups’ formation was
highlighted.

Arising from the Conference, a national team has been established and
will be responsible for developing a strategy that will outline
necessary actions to be taken with regard to adaptation and mitigation.

Future plans include building stronger collaboration among key agencies
to tackle the effects of climate change, while focus will continue to
be placed on sustainable development. There has also been an agreement
for developed countries to share technology with developing states such
as Guyana in this regard.

Additionally, Guyana is among 30 countries from Latin America, Africa
and the Asia-Pacific Region that will seek further information on the
Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) at the Bali Meeting by the
World Bank to combat tropical deforestation and climate change.

The FCPF, according to the World Bank, is expected to build capacity of
developing countries in the tropical and sub-tropical regions to reduce
emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) and tap into a
future system of positive incentives for REDD. Deforestation and forest
degradation are leading causes of global warming, contributing
approximately 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. (GINA)