Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo warned Wednesday that global climate targets may be difficult to achieve without stronger U.S. participation, while urging developing nations to pursue aggressive national policies and prepare for rapid advances in artificial intelligence.Speaking at the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) 2026 in New Delhi, Jagdeo struck a blunt tone about the state of international climate diplomacy.“We are operating today in a different context. I’ve heard whispers on in the corridors, but often we are reluctant to confront the biggest issue that is affecting us right now, and that is the need to raise ambition to achieve the climate goals that we have set ourselves, and with the absence of the United States of America at the table… it would be very, very difficult for us to achieve the climate goals,” he said.Jagdeo said U.S. involvement remains critical to carbon markets and regulations affecting sectors such as shipping, aviation and methane emissions. “Without the United States again, that would be very difficult,” he added, calling on countries to “find ways where we can move forward even without the participation of the United States of America at this point in time.”Pointing to Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), he highlighted the country’s forest conservation efforts. “Guyana is about the size of the United Kingdom, 86 per cent of it is discovered with primary forest. We have one of the lowest deforestation rates in the world,” he said, adding that the country had monetized part of its forests: “We sold 30 per cent of our forest carbon for $750 million US dollars…”Jagdeo also addressed criticism of Guyana’s expanding oil production, saying economic realities must shape climate policy. “We’re going to be producing about 1.5 to 2 million barrels of oil within the next three years, per day, per day… we want to prove that you can do that and still remain have a sustainable strategy within the country,” he said. “I think we need now more and more to emphasise the economic arguments around climate issues, because you may have a climate outcome, but it’s good economics, and nobody argues with economics.”In a shift toward biodiversity politics, he argued that conservation framing could resonate with skeptics. “We just realised that in many parts of the world, including in the United States, that many people who were climate skeptics may also be strong supporters of biodiversity protection. They don’t believe the climate argument, but the biodiversity argument could be believed.”Focusing on artificial intelligence and its potential to widen global inequalities. “AI will bring great challenges to development, but it can also bring great rewards for development,” he said, warning that smaller states risk falling behind. Consequently, Jagdeo urged international cooperation to help developing nations adopt AI in sectors such as health care and education, citing Guyana’s own experience purchasing an AI medical imaging system without a clear evaluation framework. “We asked the Minister, how do you know that this is the best model… and the answer is, they came first,” he said.The remarks underscored a broader shift in global climate debates, as countries explore regional alliances, biodiversity initiatives and emerging technologies amid uncertainty over major-power leadership.
