Guyana鈥檚 President: 鈥業 am going to lecture you on climate change鈥�
President Ali of Guyana says his country has 鈥榯he lowest deforestation rate in the world鈥�
Guyana鈥檚 president has said he would not take lectures on climate change and defended his country鈥檚 right to exploit its oil and gas reserves, despite warnings about the risks posed by rising global temperatures.
In an interview with HARDtalk, President Irfaan Ali said Guyana鈥檚 pristine rainforests, which cover over 85% of the country, would offset carbon emissions from the extraction of oil from a vast block more than 150km off the Guyanese coast.
鈥榃e have kept this forest alive that stores 19.5 gigatons of carbon,鈥� the President said. 鈥榃e have the lowest deforestation rate in the world鈥� even with exploring and production of all our resources, we are going to still be carbon neutral.鈥�
Guyana is transforming itself into one of the world鈥檚 biggest producers of offshore oil and gas. The US energy giant ExxonMobil is pumping more than 600,000 barrels a day from reservoirs off the coast. That鈥檚 projected to rise to over a million barrels in the next few years. As a result, Guyana is experiencing soaring growth and can now claim to be the country with the fastest growing economy.
The South American nation is also home to globally significant ecosystems in its coastal mangroves and inland rainforests. And it鈥檚 one of the places most vulnerable to rising sea levels: the majority of its 800,000 population live along the north coast which in some areas lies two metres below sea level. The capital Georgetown is protected by sea defences built during the Dutch colonial period.
President Ali says the new oil wealth will enable Guyana to improve its infrastructure and adapt to a changing climate. 鈥榃e have this natural resource and we are going to aggressively pursue this natural resource because we have to develop our country鈥� We have to create the opportunities for our people because no one is bringing that for us,鈥� he said.
