Guyana, T&T, Suriname, and Barbados to meet the region’s energy demands
The solution to the energy crisis facing many countries in the Western Hemisphere can come from within.
Guyanese President Dr Mohammed Irfaan Ali made this observation in his address to regional leaders at the ninth Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, California, today.
Sanctions placed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in February have pushed the price of oil and gas to levels not seen in over a decade. Many nations in the region are highly dependent on power generated from fossil fuels.
But Ali said the oil and gas reserves of Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, Brazil and soon Barbados could be leveraged to build and increase regional prosperity.
“Let us get together and have a conversation that defines a pathway to energy security for this region. We have the potential, and we must use every tool to reach that,” Ali said.
Ali said collaboration is critical for the region to overcome the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.
The president noted that millions of people in the Western Hemisphere are going hungry daily, which is growing.
“This is the reality of the region we live in today,” he stated.
As the world prepares to move to more green energy sources, Ali said his government is committed to maintaining its vast rainforests and a small carbon footprint.
“We have standing forests the size of England, storing 19.5 gigatonnes of carbon,” he said.
With Guyana poised to become one of the world’s fastest-growing economies over the next decade, Ali said his country will not be selfish in its development and plans to use its vast amounts of arable land and natural resources to assist its neighbours.
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