Act now or consign humanity to doom! – President Ali tells UNGA’s High-Level Climate Action forum

…recommits to expanding LCDS to more environmental services

Underscoring the importance of global players taking action now or otherwise “consign humanity to doom”, President Dr Irfaan Ali on Tuesday recommitted to expanding his country’s flagship Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) to capture wider environmental services.
He made the remarks during his address to the United Nations General Assembly’s High-Level Thematic Debate: “Delivering Climate Action: for People, Planet and Prosperity”.
“Guyana is expanding its Low Carbon Development Strategy into a comprehensive framework to include protection of biodiversity, freshwater management, and the protection of the marine economy. The fate of humanity is in our hands. We must not disappoint. The time for action is now!” the Guyanese Head of State declared virtually before the international forum.
Ali had previously committed to broadening the LCDS to include topics such as water resources management, climate resilience, biodiversity, and the marine economy.
The LCDS was launched in 2009 with the aim of transforming the country’s economy to a low carbon, sustainable development trajectory, while simultaneously combating climate change.
In its current state, the LCDS aims to protect and maintain the forests in an effort to reduce global carbon emissions and at the same time attract payments from developed countries for the climate services that the forests provide to the world.
According to President Ali, “climate change continues to be one of humanity’s foremost existential threats”. He told the UNGA Debate that “despite setbacks occasioned by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, global greenhouse gas emissions have rebounded”.
He noted that this event is a welcomed curtain-raiser as the world approaches the 26th Session of the Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26).

President Ali lamented that it is disturbing that the world is not on track to achieve the global temperature goals set under the Paris Agreement, pointing out that “science has emphasised the importance and urgency of limiting global warming to 1.5°?? by the end of this century to avoid irreversible changes in our environment”.
The Guyanese Head of State underscored those deep emissions reductions are “needed now” if the world is to realise this target.
“We must deliver an outcome at COP26 that demonstrates our resolve to protect human life and biodiversity,” he contended.
Against this backdrop, the Head of State listed several targets which he believes COP26 must achieve.
“COP26 must restore confidence in international cooperation such as that which will led to the historic Paris Agreement and on climate change: COP26 must manifest a revitalised spirt of international solidarity and more equitable sharing of responsibilities, particularly on the part of the world’s largest emitters; COP26 must be underscored by an emphasis on implementation and honouring commitments; and COP26 must result in decisions that would allow for the transfer of financing and technologies to support mitigations and adaptation in small states,” the Head of State added.

Tragic for Small Island Developing States
President Ali further pointed out that the global failure to take bold actions on the issue of climate change will be “tragic for all” but especially for Small Island Developing and Low-Lying Coastal States.
He noted that these countries are already threatened by rising sea levels and extreme weather events such as flooding, droughts and more intense hurricanes. Guyana is no exception, with its May-June floods of this year being declared a Level Two disaster.
In this regard, the Guyanese leader posited that his country will continue to play its part in reducing emissions and providing the world with critical climate and ecosystem services.
He emphasised that the LCDS stands as a model of the significant contributions small States can make in promoting climate action aimed at reducing emissions and increasing climate resilience.
“Delayed climate action is unthinkable. We are faced with no other choice but to act now or consign humanity to doom,” President Ali said. “Failure to ramp up our overall ambitions will result in higher and unbearable economic and environmental costs.”