Due recognition to a true champion

Yet again, Guyana’s former president, Bharrat Jagdeo, has received an honorary doctorate of philosophy for his exemplary work and leadership skills on climate change. Dr Jagdeo received the award from Dr Rajendra Pachauri, Nobel Prize Laureate and the Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Chancellor of TERI University of India. For the record sake, this is the third honorary doctorate Dr Jagdeo has received. In 2010, he was conferred with an honorary doctorate by the People’s Friendship University of Russia and in 2011, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the DY Patil University of Mumbai, India.

During the ceremony at the University’s New Delhi campus, Dr Pachauri highlighted the former president’s keen interest and outstanding work on climate change. Dr Pachauri was quoted as saying: “There are very few heads of government in the world who understand the scientific, economic and social dimensions of climate change like President Jagdeo. His sense of the global injustice that climate change represents is combined with a very rare understanding of key issues, and a global vision of suitable solutions.”

This is another major achievement in recognition of the efforts Dr Jagdeo has made in the global fight against climate change. And even though sometimes he is not given due recognition by his fellow countrymen for his tireless battles to make Guyana a better place, as they see everything through the eyes of partisan politics, the wider global community has taken note of his visionary leadership on climate change and related issues.

It should also be mentioned here that Dr Jagdeo was named as one of Time Magazine’s Heroes of the Environment in 2008. He also received the prestigious Champion of the Earth Award from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2010 for his outstanding international leadership on combating climate change and his pioneering model on low-carbon economic development.

According to the UNEP, the award is given to “people and organisations truly distinguished” when it comes to making a real difference in protecting Planet Earth. UNEP’s Champion of the Earth Awards honour the “best and brightest as they strive to take action for our planet through their visionary thinking, unwavering dedication, and committed action towards the sustainable use of the planet’s resources for global green growth”.

Since 2009, Guyana has been progressing its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), building on a vision set out by Dr Jagdeo in 2008 when he said “we need to make combating climate change and promoting national development complementary, not conflicting, priorities”. The LCDS is premised on the concept of Avoided Deforestation which allows Guyana’s 15 million hectares of rainforest to serve as a carbon sink, a process that is critical to combating global climate change. To support the LCDS, the governments of Guyana and Norway have agreed on a groundbreaking model where Norway will pay US$ 250 million towards Guyana’s forest climate services between now and 2015. This is the second largest deal of its kind in the world.

Like Dr Pachauri, it is our hope that Dr Jagdeo’s vision and skills can be deployed to an even greater extent to help the world face up to the climate challenges we are confronted with. Dr Pachauri was very much on target by saying that Dr Jagdeo as “a global leader of rare distinction must remain in the vanguard of global actions for meeting the challenge of climate change”. We join with the countless others in congratulating Dr Jagdeo for yet again being the recipient of this highly prestigious award and hope that he will continue giving faithful service to help solve the many complex problems our world faces.