Message from the President, GCCI - Mr Timothy Tucker
I cannot overstate the importance of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) undertaking initiatives within the green and low carbon development space at this juncture in the globe’s history. As the Conference of Parties (COP) 26 scheduled for this year demonstrated, we as a global village are at the last stop to mitigate climate change. Internationally, the private sector will play a pivotal role in ensuring that we attain the 1.5 degree centigrade above preindustrial level target that has been set out by the globe. This adds another dimension to a growing list of social responsibilities which private sectors around the world ought to take into consideration in its development. Private sectors can no longer be ‘for profit’ with no other consideration. In spite of the fact that Guyana is a net carbon sink, the local private sector sees itself as having a responsibility to ensure that the level of climate and environmental consciousness ingrained in the Guyanese people, transforms into action for the globe. As we brace ourselves for the economic boom of this decade and the concomitant build-outs in infrastructure development, I am happy to learn of the Government of Guyana’s revised and expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) which sets in place an economic development framework with a financial mechanism to support our growth.
This strategy, compounded by our key projects in the energy sector to transition our energy sources to transitional and renewable energy, will ensure that Guyana emerges as a global leader in low carbon growth. It is my hope that we become a model for others globally to follow. We, as a domestic private sector, must embrace technologies which support low carbon development and, I wish to take this opportunity to encourage private sector firms to be cognizant of this in their enterprise expansion. The cement industry, for example, which globally emits approximately 8 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide, will be an integral component for infrastructure development in Guyana. In building out of our country’s infrastructure, the private sector must ensure that this is undertaken in an environmentally responsible manner which embraces new technology, considers the planet, and protects our pristine position as a net carbon sink. I would like to extend my personal gratitude to the Green Economy Committee of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry which continues to be the leading private sector grouping in Guyana on green development and wish to congratulate them on the launch of this Magazine. This is undoubtedly a historic moment in the history of the GCCI and I anticipate that this will be the first of many editions to come. Do enjoy the compendium of articles which reflects the deep and thoughtful work undertaken by the Committee in ensuring that this remains the ‘Green Land of Guyana.’ Timothy Tucker President
GREEN GUYANA - ADVANCING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
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