On June 2, 2023, the EMC Foundation hosted a panel discussion on the impacts of plastic pollution on the environment and the opportunities to address them in the Guyanese context. The event was held ahead of the 50th anniversary of World Environment Day, marked every year on June 5, to raise awareness of the critical environmental issues and action needed to protect the environment.
The discussion was organised around the remarks of the five expert panellists from across the public and private sectors, including the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Kemraj Parsram; the Senior Private Sector Leader, Ramesh Dookhoo; the Managing Director of Environmental Management Consultants, Shyam Nokta; the Honorary Secretary of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Paul Cheong; and the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations (UN) in Guyana, Yeşim Oruç.
The panellists shared their varied perspectives on plastic pollution in Guyana and possible strategies to reduce its impact feasibly, tailored to Guyana’s unique social, economic, and political context. The panellists placed special emphasis on opportunities for recycling, reusing, and replacing plastics in Guyana and recognised initiatives capitalising on them. Points were bounced between panellists, allowing for an interactive, insightful, and comprehensive discussion.
In attendance were representatives from the EPA, PSC, the UN, Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN), Eco Trust Society, Guyana Marine Conservation Society (GMCS), the University of Guyana Chemistry Club, as well as the Mexican High Commissioner to Guyana, Mauricio Vizcaíno Crespo; EMC Board Member, Gitanjali Chandarpal; and GTT Chief Commercial Officer, Kerchelle Jn Charles.
