PARAMARIBO, Suriname — The Suriname government on Monday pressed for financial compensation for forested countries with low carbon emissions by the global community.

“My government is of the view that the global climate services of “High Forest Low Deforestation” (HFLD) countries such as Suriname have up till now not been acknowledged in an adequate manner,” Vice-President Ram Sardjoe told world leaders at a round table discussion at the UN Summit on Climate Change in New York.

Vice President, Ram Sardjoe

Nearly 100 world leaders have accepted UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s invitation to participate in the historic Summit on Climate Change in New York on 22 September to mobilize political will and strengthen momentum for a fair, effective, and ambitious climate deal in Copenhagen this December.

“Failure to reach broad agreement in Copenhagen would be morally inexcusable, economically short-sighted and politically unwise,” the Secretary-General said in his opening address. “Now is the moment to act in common cause,” said Ban Ki-moon.

“Suriname attaches great importance to the inclusion of a future forest carbon mitigation regime that provides positive incentives to HFLD countries,” Vice-President Sardjoe noted.

According to the Surinamese government it is “imperative that intact standing forests are included in all future “Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD-plus)” negotiations”. This will support “High Forest Low Deforestation countries” in the development of a sustainable and low-emissions economy, while conserving their forests, Sardjoe maintained.

A recent study of the World Bank concluded that Suriname is among ten most vulnerable states which could be impacted severely by sea level rising as a result of climate change patterns in the world.

“The vast majority of the population of Suriname lives in the low lying coastal zone of our country. This makes us most vulnerable to the impact of climate change and the subsequent effect of the rising sea level. Major challenges also arise since most of our arable land and economic activities are situated along our coast,” the Surinamese official warned.

Suriname therefore expects that upcoming Copenhagen Summit will provide a major impetus for a new level of cooperation between all countries developed and developing alike on resolving climate change issues, and among relevant international and regional organizations.