In a not-so-anticipated moment, Guyanese President Irfan Ali went all out questioning the “Western hypocrisy” when a journalist tried to place him on edge on the issue of carbon emissions.
President Ali’s interview with BBC journalist Stephen Sackur went viral in which he was questioned about the carbon emission rates of Guyana as it planned to extract gas and oil along its coast.
‘Are you in pockets of those who destroyed environment through industrial revolution?’: Guyanese president
In the viral video clip, the Guyanese president was seen interrupting the journalist’s question and asking him if he had the “right to lecture him on climate change” and if he was in the “pockets of those who destroy the environment through the industrial revolution and are now lecturing us”.
Countering the query of the journalist that the extraction of oil and gas in Guyana will result in more than two billion metric tonnes of carbon emissions from its coast, President Ali said, “Do you know that Guyana has a forest forever that is the size of England and Scotland combined? A forest that stores 19.5 Gigatons of carbon, a forest that we have kept alive.”
After that, the journalist asked him if that gave Guyana the right to extract gas and release emissions.
“Does that give you the right to lecture us on climate change. I am going to lecture you on climate change because we have kept this forest alive. The store’s 19.5 gigatons of carbon that you enjoy, that the world enjoys, that you don’t pay us for, that you don’t value, that you don’t see a value in, that the people of Guyana has kept alive,” said the president.
“Guess what? We have the lowest deforestation rate in the world. And guess what? Even with our greatest exploration of the oil and gas resource we have now, we will still be, net 0. Guyana will still be net 0 with all our exploration,” President Ali added.
The president further questioned the alleged Western hypocrisy and said that those who have caused environmental destruction are now questioning his country.
“I am just not finished as yet because this is a hypocrisy that exists in the world. The world, in the last 50 years has lost 65 percent of all its biodiversity. We have kept our biodiversity. Are you valuing it. Are you ready to pay for it? When is developed world is going to pay for it or are you in their pockets?” said the Guyanese president.
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“Are you in the pockets of those who have damaged the environment? Are you in the pockets? Are you and your system in the pockets of those who destroy the environment through the industrial revolution and now lecturing us. Are you in their pockets? Are you paid by them?” he lambasted the journalist.
(With inputs from agencies)
