Guyana – The President of the Republic of Guyana, Muhammad Irfaan Ali, rebuked a BBC presenter following the latter asked him regarding carbon emissions in his country since the discovery of oil, saying that “those who destroyed the environment are doubting my country.”
Ali spoke during an interview with BBC journalist Stephen Sackur, who asked the president regarding Guyana’s carbon emission rates as it plans to extract oil and gas along its coast.
In the clip of the interview that went viral, the Guyanese president interrupted the journalist, saying, “You have no right to lecture me regarding climate change. “You are in the pockets of those who are destroying the environment through the industrial revolution and are now lecturing us.”
When asked by Sackur that Guyana’s oil and gas extraction would result in more than two billion metric tons of carbon emissions from its coast, the President responded, saying: “Did you know that Guyana has a forest the size of England and Scotland combined?” A forest that stores 19.5 gigatonnes of carbon, a forest that we have kept alive.”
Regarding this, the journalist asked him whether this would give Guyana the right to extract oil and gas and release emissions. Irfan Ali said: “Does this give you the right to lecture us regarding climate change?” “I’m going to lecture you regarding climate change.”
He added: Because we kept this forest alive to protect the 19.5 gigaton carbon reserve that it enjoys, which the world enjoys, and which you do not pay us for, do not value, and do not see any value in. “This is all because of the forest that the people of Guyana have kept alive.”
“We have the lowest deforestation rate in the world,” he stressed. Even with our greatest exploration of oil and gas resources, Guyana will remain at net zero carbon emissions,” he said, adding: “Those who destroyed the environment are now questioning my country. This is hypocrisy that exists in the world. In the past 50 years, the world has lost 65% of its biodiversity. We have preserved our biodiversity. Do you appreciate that? Are you ready to pay the price? When will the developed world pay for this?
Source: RT
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2024-04-02 15:06:14
