‘I’ll teach you a lesson’: Guyana Presidential School reporter on emissions

Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali didn’t mince words when answering a BBC reporter’s question about the carbon emissions of the country’s planned oil and gas extraction off the coast. In the video of the heated exchange, Ali stops a BBC reporter and questions his “right to speak on climate change” and whether he falls into the trap of “those who destroyed the environment through the industrial revolution and are now speaking.” in the pocket”. us”.

A BBC reporter cited reports that oil and gas extraction will result in more than 2 billion tons of carbon emissions off the coast of Guyana.

When he asked Irfaan Ali if he had attended the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, Guyana’s president interjected: “Let me stop you here. Did you know that Guyana has an area of ​​forest cover equal to that of England and Scotland combined? A forest stores 1.95 billion tons of carbon. We’ve stayed active. ”

Journalists then questioned whether this gave Guyana “the right to release all this carbon.”

Irfaan Ali retorted before the reporter finished speaking: “Does that give you the right to lecture us about climate change? I’m going to lecture you about climate change because we keep this forest alive, it stores 19.5 gigatons of carbon, and you and the world enjoy it.”

He noted that Guyana has the lowest deforestation rate in the world, adding, “Even if we maximize exploration of existing oil and gas resources, we will still achieve net zero (emissions).”

Guyana’s president added that his country was not being paid for the forests maintained by the country’s people.

“The world has lost 65% of its biodiversity in the past 50 years. We have retained biodiversity. Do you value it? Are you prepared to pay the price? When will developed countries pay the price? Or are you?” Irfaan Ali asked sharply.

He noted that “there is hypocrisy in the world” when it comes to exploring oil and gas reserves in developing countries.

A video of Irfaan Ali educating journalists went viral, with many praising him for speaking out about the “hypocrisy” against developing countries.