Asunción, Agencia IP.- The President of the Republic, Santiago Peña, stated that Paraguay is a crucial factor in food and energy security, has enormous awareness about the environment, and has taken steps to be considered an example in this field. «It’s time for the world to know,» he said.
This was stated today by Peña during his speech at the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), which is taking place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The President said, «Different cultures and traditions meet here to jointly define how to address a common challenge: the negative effects of climate change. This shows that it is not true that there cannot be a dialogue between different traditions.»
He expressed confidence that during this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference, «COP28 will mark a before and after in the measures to repair the damage that has occurred on land and sea by humans».
He maintained that the environmental protection measures must be rigorous and fair. Above all, they must respect the guiding principles of the Paris Agreement, such as shared but differentiated responsibilities, taking into account the particular capacities and conditions of States, especially those that need to strengthen their development.
Along the same lines, the President spoke of Paraguay’s advantages, such as its status as a country that produces clean and renewable energy, with a unique biological wealth and a solid potential as a carbon sink.
He also specified that 44% of the national territory has forest cover and 15% is under the protected wild areas regime.
«94% of the area planted with soybeans in the country’s Eastern Region, of which we are the 6th largest producer in the world, is free of deforestation,» claimed Peña.
«We are among the world’s top 10 beef exporters, whose quality is guaranteed by strict compliance with health protocols and feeding based on natural grass. Our CO2 emissions are the lowest in the Latin American region, representing only 0.10% of global emissions,» he mentioned.
At another time, he pointed out that the 4th National Communication on Climate Change demonstrates a 44% reduction in emissions from the land use change and forestry sector and a 14% reduction in methane emissions in the agricultural and livestock sectors compared to 2010.
«We took our first steps to enter the voluntary carbon market. Paraguay is a key factor in food and energy security, has enormous environmental awareness, and has taken steps to be considered an example in this field. It is time for the world to know,» he added.
The Paraguayan President asked the Convention to simplify processes and eliminate barriers that prevent access to climate funds.
«The planet is a common heritage; therefore, we encourage participation without exclusions in the scope of the COP. In this sense, we propose the incorporation of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in this process,» he said.
On the other hand, he emphasized the importance of promoting a more equitable and non-punitive approach to our climate challenges. «Developing countries cannot postpone our development due to unilateral demands that border arbitrarily,» he stressed.
He also mentioned that Paraguay advocates for a green, supportive, and prosperous planet where everyone complies with the commitments to rebuild trust in the multilateral system.
«I have the firm conviction that in our joint efforts, the determination to leave a worthy legacy for future generations will prevail, that is, that we will have the wisdom to leave a better world than the one we have found,» he finally expressed.