PM Phillips: “Protect Guiana Shield”
Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips opened the third Guiana Shield Strategic Dialogue in Kingston, Georgetown, emphasizing the need to protect the Guiana Shield.
Rich in biodiversity and with enormous commercial potential, the Guiana Shield includes Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Venezuela, and portions of Colombia and Brazil. It is an essential eco-region in the fight against climate change.
“We must seek to harness the power of collective action to address the root causes of environmental degradation and enjoy the long-term sustainability of the Guyana Shield,” the prime minister said.
“We must commit ourselves to the shield as we continue this dialogue, keeping in mind the need to encourage continued research, communication, and empowering local communities,” PM Phillips said.
Guyana, Suriname, France, and Brazil convene for the strategic conversation to discuss and find answers to challenges to the shield’s integrity.
The main areas of attention are border concerns, illegal trafficking, marine security, and climate change.
For shared prosperity and environmental sustainability, the prime minister said, greater cooperation and innovation are essential.
“While the challenges remain great, so too remains the consistency and drive channelled by our collective dedication to protecting the untouched biodiversity and ecological integrity of the Guiana Shield for generations to come,” the prime minister said.
PM Phillips said that programmes such as the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS 2030), which prioritizes the conservation of the rainforest—a major carbon sink—demonstrate Guyana’s dedication to shield preservation.
“These efforts have empowered local communities and indigenous peoples to be stewards of their lands and contributed to global climate action,” he said.
In December 2022, the nation struck an unprecedented multi-year deal with Hess Corporation, under which it will buy 2.5 million carbon credits annually from 2016 to 2030.
Guyana thus gets paid to preserve its forest cover.
Then, these monies are allocated to programs for sustainable development, including resilient agriculture systems, renewable energy, and coastal defence.
Airlines were also recently approved to use the nation’s carbon credits for the first stage of the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) global emission reduction initiative, CORSIA.
“Good projects towards guaranteeing a more robust and sustainable future for the Guiana Shield can be realised through promoting sustainable land use practices, supporting community-based conservation efforts, and fostering collaborations among governments, NGOs, and local communities,” he said.
Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn, in the meantime, urged everyone present to work collaboratively and unitedly to tackle security issues and prepare for new threats.