Bharrat Jagdeo named patron of World Development Forum

Climate change
…calls for more support for developing countries to adapt

Almost two years ago, Guyana was one of many countries which signed onto the Paris Accord – a worldwide commitment to address climate change and limit the rise of global warming, within a certain timeframe. There are concerns, however, that since this accord was signed, the momentum has been slowing down.

Giving his keynote address to the World Sustainable Development Forum (WSDF) hosted in Mexico City, former President and current Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo raised concerns about this development.
Jagdeo was named Patron-in-Chief of the two-day forum, which featured presentations by politicians from around the world and even Hollywood stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Leonardo Di Caprio, a noted climate change advocate.
Following this commendation, Jagdeo indicated in his remarks that the WSDF is being convened at a time when there is loss of political momentum from the high note of Paris 2015.
“We need to push for the implementation of the Paris Agreement and to raise both the level of ambition and financing to support implementation,” the former Head of State informed the gathering.
Jagdeo, who has been recognised globally for his climate change advocacy in and out of office, pointed out that the discussion is undergoing a paradigm shift. He noted that the discussion is shifting from one of cost of implementation to one of opportunity and where there is a significant role for the Private Sector.
He also observed that a unified approach for all countries, especially developing countries, is lacking. Jagdeo added that this would be an approach where support is needed to assist them for both climate adaptation and mitigation.

SDGs
The United Nations (UN) has classified combating climate change as Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 13. In relation to this goal, Jagdeo explained that in addition to building momentum for action on climate change, there is need for broader awareness and action involving not only governments but also the Private Sector, academia and civil society.
The forum was hosted with sponsorship from the Leonardo Di Caprio Foundation, the United States Energy Association among others.
The theme of the forum was “Implementing the Paris Agreement and the SDGs”. There were several parallel sessions, focusing on issues related to youth; gender; the role of business; cities and local governments; the role of the media; and knowledge organisations and civil society.
Critical issues such as energy transformation, The Leadership Challenge on climate change and the role of key stakeholders such, as businesses and civil society, were addressed.
Besides his keynote address, Jagdeo was an integral participant in the Leadership Challenge section of the forum. He shared the panel with Japan’s former Prime Minister, Yukio Hatoyama; former President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso; and Dr Brian Baird, a former member of the United States House of Representatives.
Also in attendance at the forum was former Adviser to the President on Climate Change and current Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) President, Shyam Nokta. Nokta, who is also a member of the WSDF International Advisory Board, participated in several of the sessions.
Nokta participated in several sessions including a key one on ambition and the Paris Agreement, where he used the opportunity to highlight the Guyana Norway Forest Partnership and the importance of forests in achieving climate change goals.
The WSDF is expected to be an annual event to help raise awareness and push for action from countries on climate change and sustainable development. Leading CEOs and representatives from international organisations such as the United Nations, businesses, academia and civil society were also part of the two-day event.