Q&A: Guyana’s roadmap to become a green state
By Desmond Brown
GEORGETOWN, March 26, 2019
(IPS) - In 2008, the then president of
Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo, established
within the Ministry of the Presidency
the Office of Climate Change. Guyana
became the first country in the region
to do so. A year later, Jagdeo set out a
vision to forge a new low carbon economy
in the Caribbean nation over the
following decade.
Jagdeo’s vision was translated into
a national strategy as outlined in Guyana’s
Low Carbon Development Strategy
(LCDS) after more than a year of
review and consultation within Guyana,
coupled with input from climate change
negotiations at the United Nations.
The aim of the LCDS was the
achievement of two goals: transforming
Guyana’s economy to deliver greater
economic and social development
for the population by following a low
carbon development path; and providing
a model for the world of how climate
change can be addressed through
low carbon development in developing
countries, if the international community
takes the necessary collective
actions, especially relating to REDD+.
Head of the Office of Climate Change
Janelle Christian told IPS that the office
continues to fulfil its mandate even
though there has been a change of
administration.
“We have started the process for
preparation of our national climate
change policy,” Christian said.
“We have concluded work on the
Nationally Appropriate Mitigation
Action for Greening of Towns.”
Excerpts of the interview follow:
Inter Press Service (IPS): What is the
government doing to develop national
climate change strategies?
Janelle Christian (JC): When the government
changed, back in 2015, the
new government advocated the vision
for Guyana to become a green state and
so the Department of Environment has
been working over the last two years to
elaborate the Green State Development
Strategy. That strategy is looking at low
carbon development across all sectors.
When compared to the LCDS, which is
looking at our mitigation contribution
through sound management of our
forest resources, the Green State Development
Strategy is looking at advancing
what we have started under the
LCDS but also looking to maximise our
renewable energy potential through the
full mix of the opportunities available
in that field, and also to ensure that
our future development as we proceed
as a country would ensure that we pursue
that development on a low carbon
path.
IPS: How different are the strategies
and plans being developed on the
President David Granger administration
compared with those under the
Jagdeo administration?
JC: We have been, and continue to
work in crafting and in some instances
revising some of our existing strategies
so that they’re aligned with the new
With approximately 90 percent of Guyana’s population living below sea level, the country says it needs to adapt
and build resilience. But Janelle Christian, head of the Offi ce of Climate Change in Guyana says unlocking needed
fi nancial support is a major challenge. Inter Press Service / Desmond Brown
vision. So, what we have been working
on, specifically with support from
many of our multilateral partners – we
have started the process for preparation
of our national climate change policy.
We are in the process of revising our
climate resilience strategy and action
plan and the output will be our National
Adaptation Plan (NAP) aligned with
the Green State Development Strategy
main pillars. We have concluded work
on the Nationally Appropriately Mitigation
Action for Greening of Towns.
We’ve also completed our Technology
Needs Assessment.
IPS: Who are some of the development
partners you’ve been working
with to get projects off the ground?
JC: We have largely been working
with existing global facilities for the
Caribbean Life, M 36 arch 29–April 4, 2019 BQ
mobilisation of climate finance to not
only address some of the gaps and
strengthen some of our existing programmes,
but mobilise resources for
sector-specific initiatives. We have been
engaging very closely with the Green
Climate Fund (GCF) and have successfully
been able to mobilise what is called
readiness support. The first one that
we would have implemented was what
is called the NDA National Designated
Authorities strengthening through the
GCF and that was with the Caribbean
Community Climate Change Centre
and that work has concluded. That really
set the tone for further engagement
and how we engage with the GCF.
Since then we would have successfully
worked with the FAO Food and
Agriculture Organisation of the United
Nations and we would have been able
to mobilise some resources specifically
through the GCF, again focusing on
getting the agriculture sector ready and
also working with the sector to develop
a concept proposal for submission to
the GCF for investment-type support to
the sector given its priority. We received
notice of approval from the GCF for
readiness support for our energy sector
— largely renewable energy and also
some private sector support. Because,
we know, for climate solution it requires
both public and private sector investment.
IPS: What else do you have going on
in terms of climate change adaptation
and mitigation?
JC: We have advanced work for support
of the president’s vision for Bartica,
which was identified as a model
green town. We have just concluded all
of the baseline data-type studies that
were required for Bartica as we get
ready to plan and identify specific type
investments for that community.
IPS: Going forward, what would you
say are the main challenges facing Guyana
and other developing countries in
fighting climate change?
JC: Support…They talk about the
developed providing support to developing.
And when we talk about that
support, we’re talking about financing,
which is the top challenge because
these interventions for adaptation to
increase our resilience require lots of
investments. So, financing. While they
will tell you that there are lots of established
climate financing mechanism, to
unlock those resources is really a challenge
in itself. So, then the capacity of
the country to be able to understand
the systems, the modalities; to be able
to elaborate the proposals that would
then be successful and allow for their
approval – those allow you to implement.
So, the financing and then the capacity
in-country to unlock the financing,
or the capacity in-country to have the
right skill set in specialised areas, and
of course we need technology also.
Of course, technology requires money
again. But even when you have technical
support for the deployment of
technology, again you have to be able
to use the technology correctly. Then
as a country you have to ensure that
you have the sustainability component
incorporated into your national systems
so that those can be successfully
infused as part of your operation over
the long term. Those are the main
things I would say for countries such as
ours. How do you make a decision when
you have limited finance to address the
realities of what is before you?
Janelle Christian, head of the Offi ce
of Climate Change in Guyana.
Inter Press Service / Desmond Brown