Guyana

The framework document for Guyana's development along a ‘green' pathway is intended to provide guidance on the prioritised areas to be developed in the Green State Development Strategy (GSDS). It represents a roadmap for Guyana's development along a reduced emissions pathway and builds on the successes of the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and several other national documents such as the Nationally Determined Contributions, Climate Resilience Strategy Action Plan (CRSAP), Draft National Energy Policy, and National Adaptation Strategy for the Agriculture Sector (2009 -2018). Development of the GSDS will be completed over the course of the next 12-18 months.A Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan was previously proposed in 2015.

The Strategy sets the government's vision for agriculture by the year 2020, and discusses trends in human resources, land, water resources management, trade, crop yields, livestock and fisheries. It sets a roadmap over the period 2013-2020 to achieve specific sectoral targets within the context of sustainable development.The 2013 document replaced the 2009 National Adaptation Strategy To Address Climate Change In The Agriculture Sector Of Guyana Strategy And Action Plan The overall goal of the strategy was to reduce the risks posed by climate change and position the agricultural sector. It seeked to allow the sector to adapt through technical innovation and diversification, and further to increase its competitiveness and sustainability by 2018. Its aims are:
<ul>
<li>To enhance the capacity within the agricultural sector to adapt to climate change and position this Strategy to foster a nationally consistent policy framework.</li>
<li>To build resilience and adaptive capacity within the sector.</li>
<li>To assist the government in providing primary producers with a policy framework that embraces research and development and promotes climate change adaptation techniques in agriculture.</li>
<li>To build greater awareness about adaptive techniques.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>This strategy sets out Guyana's plans for low carbon growth and reduced exploitation of forests with concomitant benefits for climate change mitigation. The LCDS is funded by international payments for ecosystem services, currently comprising a USD250m deal with the government of Norway. These funds are being invested in areas which it is thought will facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy. This includes investments in the following areas: Adaptation and climate resilience, focussing on:Low carbon infrastructure</li>
<li>High potential low carbon sectors</li>
<li>Hinterland development</li>
<li>Human capital</li>
<li>Adaptation and climate resilience.</li>
<li>Amerindian and hinterland development.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
 A series of programmes focussing on:
<ul>
<li>Electrification</li>
<li>A development fund to be disbursed in accordance with community development funds.</li>
<li>ICT access, focusing on expanded network of fibre cables.</li>
<li>Facilitating investment in high-potential, low-carbon sectors, namely:</li>
<ul>
<li>Fruits and vegetables</li>
<li>Aquaculture</li>
<li>Sustainable forestry and wood processing,</li>
<li>Business process outsourcing,</li>
<li>Eco-tourism</li>
<li>Bio-ethanol</li>
</ul>
<li>Sustainably growing the extractive and forestry sectors. This includes:</li>
<ul>
<li>Improving the regulatory environment for forestry;</li>
<li>Transition to more value-added production of timber including the integration of primary and secondary production;</li>
<li>Increased efficiency in extraction, reduction of waste and increased recovery in timber processing.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
 Since the mining sector is such an important contributor to Guyana's economy (c.20% GDP), mining is not required to cease under the terms of the LCDS. A Special Land Use Committee was established in 2010 which proposed the following projects:
<ul>
<li>Strengthening Land Use Planning and Co-ordination among natural resource agencies</li>
<li>Sustainable Land Management in the mining and forestry sectors</li>
<li>Enhanced Land Reclamation</li>
<li>Improved Infrastructure in Mining Districts</li>
<li>Amendments to Mining Act and Regulations</li>
</ul>
&nbsp; In addition the Guyana Geology and Mining Commission is furthering efforts to reduce forest degradation including hiring 19 new mining inspectors to ensure adherence to mining regulations. Low-carbon transport is envisaged as an activity mainly for the period after 2015, when up to USD2m will be allocated to planning work to look at how transport infrastructure can be upgraded and benefit the economy.

The Action Plan seeks to address the commitments of Guyana to the UNFCCC by “formulating national programmes containing measures to mitigate climate change by addressing anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of all greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol, and measures to facilitate adequate adaptation to climate change" as per Article 4.1(b).
The Plan seeks to develop, apply and diffuse technologies (and technology transfer), practices and processes that control, reduce or prevent anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases in all relevant sectors, including energy, transport, industry, agriculture, forestry, waste management and health sectors. It recognises that that the Plan cannot be implemented without the financial and other resource assistance of the developed Country Parties and multilateral institutions, and urges thethe Convention Secretariat, the Global Environment Facility and the developed country Parties to honour their commitments by providing resources (financial, technological and technical) to enable Guyana to realise the implementation of the activities listed in the Plan.

This Act provides for the protection and conservation of Guyana's natural heritage and natural capital; the management of a national system of protected areas; the maintenance of ecosystem services of national and global importance including climate regulation; the establishment of a protected areas commission; the establishment of a protected areas trust fund; the fulfillment of Guyana's international environmental responsibilities; and public participation in protected areas and conservation.
One of the obejctives of the national protected areas sytem is to assist in combating climate change by ensuring that Guyana's existing forests are maintained and protected from degradation and their ecosystem functions are safeguarded; promoting the restoration and expansion of Guyana's natural forest cover; protecting marine ecosystems; and protecting freshwater ecosystems and important watersheds.

The Environmental Protection Act 1996 provides for the management, conservation, protection and improvement of the environment, the prevention or control of pollution, the assessment of the impact of economic development on the environment, the sustainable use of natural resources and for matters incidental thereto or connected therewith. It comprises ten sections.</div><ul><li>Part I: Preliminary section;</li><li>Part II: Establishment and functions of agency;</li><li>Part III: Administration;</li><li>Part IV: Environmental impact assessments;</li><li>Part V: Prevention and control of pollution;</li><li>Part VI: Financial assurance;</li><li>Part VII: Investigations, prosecutions, civil proceedings;</li><li>Part VIII: Establishment and jurisdiction of environmental appeals tribunal;</li><li>Part IX: Environmental trust fund and finances</li><li>Part X: Miscellaneous</li></ul><div> The Act contains various institutional arrangements. Part II establishes the Environmental Protection Agency and sets out the function of the agency. Part III sets up more institutional arrangements and addresses issues such as appointments and remuneration, delegation of authority and powers, as well as directions. Part IV, section 13(1), sets up the Environmental Assessment Board, and Part VIII, section 51, establishes the Environmental Appeal Tribunal. Part IX establishes an Environmental Trust Fund, which is used to fund the operations of the Agency.&nbsp; Part IV outlines the requirements for environmental impact assessment. Pursuant to section 11(4) every environmental impact assessment must be carried out by and independent and suitably qualified person approved by the Agency and shall identify, describe and evaluate the direct and indirect effects of the proposed project on the environmental including climatic factors. Section 11(5) therefore requires necessary information to include emissions of the proposed project. Part X leaves room for further regulations by the Minister for the purpose of giving effect to the provisions of the Act.&nbsp; This Act was amended by Environmental Protection (Amendment) Act 2005 (No. 17 of 2005). Section 11(3)(a) was amended by extending the term of appeal against a decision of the Environmental Assessment Board; section 52 regarding the constitution of the Environmental Appeals Tribunal; and section 55 in relation to the term for the filing of appeal notices.</div><div>

Guyana National Communication. NC3

Guyana Biennial Update Report. BUR1

Guyana Biennial Transparency Report BTR 1

Guyana First NDC, Nationally Determined Contribution from Guyana in 2016

Guyana. National Communication (NC). NC 2., National Communication from Guyana in 2012

Conserve an additional 2 million hectares through Guyana's National Protected Area System, continuing to use its monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system by 2030 against a 2017 baseline

92% of energy-related GHG emissions eliminated by a new hydroelectric plant by 2017

Guyana

Documents

Targets (2)

Legislative Process