Asunción, Agencia IP.- The President of the Republic, Santiago Peña, indicated that Paraguay has considerable environmental power and development, which demonstrate to the world that maintaining an equilibrium between both spheres is possible.
“We have the chance to support the transition towards clean, renewable energy, to have a society conformed by advanced human capital and to maintain the balance between development and protection of the environment”, said Peña during his participation in the World Leaders Forum of Columbia University in New York.
Peña shared his projects regarding environmental policy with the students present: One of them is the Carbon Credits Law, approved three days ago by the Senatorial Chamber, he stated.
The President claimed that this project is one of the most advanced in the region. It will allow the reduction of the gap between the compensations for emissions of greenhouse gases, “what the world needs,” and to assure economic incomes to maintain natural resources “what Paraguay needs”, according to Peña.
The President declared that it is expected to give “a significant announcement that will change the market of carbon” during the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 28) that will take place in December.
Steps for a sustainable production
Peña argued that Paraguay has been taking necessary steps towards the goal of sustainable economic growth. He cited the recently published study of the National Forestall Institute (Infona, by its acronym in Spanish) that indicates that 95% of the soy produced in the Oriental region was not a product of deforestation. Also, he pointed out that the country maintains 44% of its territory’s forests, one of the most considerable proportions in the world, and that the gas emissions that Paraguay produces are only 0,09% due to the use of new technologies of agricultural production, such as direct sowing.
The President also highlighted the steps that are being taken regarding Paraguayan agricultural production. He asserted that Paraguay registered the worst drought in the last 15 years, which produced a decrease of 15% in agricultural output. Nevertheless, the country reached an increase of 0.2% of the GDP.
When being consulted about the implementation of agricultural production and the protection of indigenous communities, Peña affirmed that his government is advancing in a project that allows indigenous people to use their land to produce and introduce advanced technology and avoid using outdated methods and practices “out of obligation”.
Food security and energetic transition
Peña referred to his intention to convert the Binational of Itaipu into a Paraguay development engine. He explained to the students that the electricity sales rate contained a 60% debt payment. With its amortization, its objective is to maintain the rates and allocate those funds for investments.
The Paraguayan President said that he shares beliefs with the President of Brazil, Lula Da Silva. “I believe that we will be announcing many good news”, he spoke about the hydroelectric role in those plans.
At the same time, he mentioned that part of having the largest generator of renewable electrical energy and being the leading exporter worldwide, is the possibility of developing green fuel and fertilizer industries. “We are in the early stages of producing green hydrogen and clean fertilizers,” he said.
Bilateral relations and integration
The Paraguayan President claimed that for the next five years, it is not in the plans to terminate the diplomatic relations with Taiwan. He said that they are “based on a vision purely economic and strategical”. This implies developing other industries in the country, not only for producing food sources, but also with skills and knowledge learned from Taiwan.
Finally, he said that he wants to be a key defender of integration in Latin America. “I believe in multilateralism and do not just want to say that the system does not work. I want to make it work. The crisis of 2008 and the pandemic of COVID-19 demonstrated the importance of making it work”, he asserted.