CARICOM Ministers with responsibility for Environment and Climate Change, earlier this week, convened a high level meeting in St Lucia, where the Region’s position on climate change, which will be presented at the upcoming United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference, was discussed.

Guyana was represented by Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman and Mr. Andrew Bishop, Guyana’s Lead Negotiator for issues pertaining to the UNFCCC.  The team participated in discussions on climate change issues that are affecting the region and presented Guyana’s position on the Region’s submission to the convention, which will be held in Paris, France, later this year.

Minister Trotman said that global warming, higher sea levels and extreme weather patterns pose a serious threat to coastal low lying states such as Guyana and the Caribbean Islands.  For many of these States most of the population, infrastructure and food production activities are found on or close to the coastlands.

The Ministerial engagement was described as successful, since it has managed to establish that at the Regional level, there is now strong resolve and consensus on emission reduction targets, support for adaptation, loss and damage and the need for special consideration for small islands and low lying areas such as Guyana.

The success of the meeting is expected to enhance the consolidation of both national and regional positions in anticipation of reaching consensus in Paris, France.

Despite its low emissions and limited resources, Guyana has completed its nationally determined contribution to the global effort, and expects to submit this to the UNFCCC by October 1, 2015.

The UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP 21), scheduled for Paris in December, is expected to deliver a much needed global agreement, to limit Global warming, while providing the necessary resources to developing countries, which are often  so support the management of the adverse effects of Climate Change.