GUYANA'S
LOW
CARBON

DEVELOPMENT
STRATEGY 2030

A New Low-Carbon Economy 

Payments Received for Carbon Credits

US $150M
received to date

US $75 M

December 2, 2022

read more

US $37.5 M

January 2023

US $37.5 M

July 2023

THE NEW LCDS 2030

NATIONAL CONSULTATION

The LCDS 2030 has been produced after a seven month national consultation on an initial draft, and sets out how Guyana can stay true to the vision set out in 2009.

Learn more

LCDS 2030 chapters

0 tonCO2
Guyana's Total Carbon Stock
0 % of Forest area
Guyana’s Annual Deforestation
rate which is 90% lower than other tropical countries
0 Hectares
Guyana’s 2020 Forest cover
second-highest % of forest cover on Earth.
0 % world’s forest carbon
One of four countries which host the Guiana Shield, one of the world’s most pristine landscapes. The Guiana Shield stores c. 18% of the world’s forest carbon and 20% of the world’s fresh water
8- 0 Million
ART credits generated per year
0 % of known plant species
Extremely high levels of biological diversity and endemism – about 4% of known animal species, more bird species than the entire United States of America, and 2.4% of known plant species
About

What is Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030?

“The LCDS is a framework intended to map the path of a new growth trajectory in a non-polluting way. Tropical forest countries have long called for the ecosystem services provided by the world’s standing tropical forests to be properly valued, through both public and private finance. This will enable people who live in forests and forest countries to create jobs and economic opportunity from an economy that works with nature, instead of today’s reality where forests are often worth more dead than alive.” — Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, President of Guyana (2009).

The LCDS 2030 sets out four inter-linked objectives for Guyana, the first three of which were the basic objectives of the LCDS since 2009 and the fourth of which was added to reflect new local and global realities:
• Value Ecosystem Services
• Invest in Clean Energy and Stimulate Low Carbon Growth
• Protect Against Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss
• Align with Global Climate and Biodiversity Goals
lcds-quadrant

LCDS 2030

This LCDS 2030 has been produced after a seven month national consultation on an
initial draft, and sets out how Guyana can stay true to the vision set out in 2009. The
country can create a model for avoiding deforestation and maintaining forests, while
at the same time growing the economy five-fold over 10 years and keeping energy
emissions flat; investing in urban, rural and Amerindian development; protecting the
coast and hinterland from climate change; creating jobs in a suite of low carbon sectors;
aligning the education and health sectors with low carbon development, and integrating
Guyana’s economy with its neighbours.

The document comprises eight chapters:

1: Towards 2030 – A new ecosystem services economy

Building blocks for the new low-carbon economy: forest climate services, biodiversity, water management and the Ocean Economy

2: Moving to a Market Mechanism for Forest Climate Services

How forest climate services can be evolved because of the capabilities Guyana has built, and the potential of integrating with the emerging voluntary carbon markets

lcds-chapter-3

3: Stimulating Future Growth: Clean Energy

Section of Guyana’s new LCDS Investment Programme focussed on the low-carbon energy transition

lcds-chapter-4

4: Stimulating Future Growth: Low-Carbon Development

Section of Guyana’s new LCDS Investment Programme to develop Guyana’s human, financial and physical capital

lcds-chapter-5

5: Protecting Against Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss

Addressing Guyana’s climate adaptation and resilience.

lcds-chapter-6

6: Aligning with Global Climate Goals: Oil and Gas within A Low-Carbon Framework

Addressing sustainable management of the oil and gas industry

7: Aligning with Global Climate and Biodiversity Goals

Sets out the plans for the oversight of this LCDS by a national consultation, the National Assembly and the Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee.

8: Involving all Guyanese in the Low-Carbon Transition

Sets out the plans for the oversight of this LCDS by a national consultation, the National Assembly and the Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee.

Implementing LCDS 2030

After seven months of National Consultation, this LCDS 2030 sets the direction of travel for Guyana’s economic development. Feedback received through the consultation has been incorporated and the document is to be tabled in the National Assembly. New opportunities for development can be unlocked where Guyana earns new revenues from the sale of carbon credits.

LCDS History

Twelve years of engagement and projects implementation

Key Documents and Payments

Projects

Phase 1
2009

Low Carbon Development Strategy

The LCDS is a framework intended to map the path of a new growth trajectory in a non-polluting way.

 

read: Low Carbon Development Strategy – May 2010

2009

Joint Concept Note

The framework for taking the Norway-Guyana cooperation forward to enable the acceleration of Guyana’s REDD-plus efforts, based on the results of which Norway will start providing financial support.

 

read: Joint Concept Note

2009

Memorandum of Understanding on REDD+ cooperation between Guyana and Norway

Overarching framework regarding issues related to the fight against climate change, in particular those concerning reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD-plus), the protection of biodiversity, and enhancement of sustainable, low carbon development.

read: MOU

2009
2010

GRIF Administration Agreement

The terms of the multi-contributor trust fund between the Trustee and the Contributor established for the financing of activities undertaken as part of the Government of Guyana’s LCDS.

 

read: GRIF_Administration_Agreement_Compressed

2010
2011

GRIF Operational Manual

The operating principles, guidelines and procedures for the day-to-day operations of the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund.

 

read: GRIF Operational Manual Version 1.0

2011
Project Implementations

Project Implementations

Scroll down to see all Phase 1 Projects

2012

Amerindian Development Fund Phase 1

The Amerindian Development Fund was established to provide funding to support the socio-economic development of Amerindian communities and villages, through the implementation of their Community Development Plans.

 

read: https://guyanareddfund.org/index.php/grif-projects/amerindian-development-fund

 

2012

Institutional Strengthening

This project enhanced the national institutional capacity in Guyana to address the impacts of climate change through the effective implementation of the LCDS, and assisted Guyana in meeting its commitments under interim REDD+ sustainable forest management partnerships.

 

read: https://guyanareddfund.org/index.php/grif-projects/institutional-strengthening

2013
2013
2013

Micro and Small Enterprise Development

This project addressed two of the major bottlenecks that constrained the development of Micro and Small Enterprise Development and the ability of vulnerable groups to build alternative livelihoods in Guyana, which were: i) limited access to finance and ii) limited technical and business skills.

 

read: https://guyanareddfund.org/index.php/grif-projects/small-and-micro-enterprise-development 

2013

Amerindian Land Titling

This project seeks to enable Amerindians to secure their lands and natural resources with a view towards sustainable social and economic development.

 

read: https://guyanareddfund.org/index.php/grif-projects/amerindian-land-titling

2014

Amerindian Development Fund Phase 2

The Amerindian Development Fund was established to provide funding to support the socio-economic development of Amerindian communities and villages, through the implementation of their Community Development Plans.

 

read: https://guyanareddfund.org/index.php/grif-projects/amerindian-development-fund

2015

Cunha Canal Rehabilitation

This project involved the widening of the canal, the rehabilitation of the former outlet structure, rerouting the canal to re-establish its original alignment and construction of a bridge on the East Bank of Demerara Public Road where the canal intercepts the road.

 

read: https://guyanareddfund.org/index.php/grif-projects/cunha-canal

2017

ICT Access and e-Services, for Hinterland, Poor, and Remote Communities

The objective of this project is to provide Information & Communications Technology (ICT) access and electronic services to hinterland, poor and remote communities throughout Guyana.

 

read: https://guyanareddfund.org/index.php/grif-projects/ict-access-and-e-services

2017

Sustainable Land Use Development and Management

ongoing The project aims to engender productive use of especially deforested and degraded lands by transforming current land management practices in Guyana to ensure sustainability in land management systems and streamline provision of land services to land-users and decision-makers, to foster long-term economic, social and environmental development in the country.

 

read: https://guyanareddfund.org/index.php/grif-projects/sustainable-land-management-and-development 

2017

Knowledge and Capacity Development for Inclusive Green Development Transition in Guyana

This project responded and articulated the increasing demand for methodological and analytical support for the development of a long-term platform by illustrating strategies and the necessary policies that ensured the enabling conditions for Guyana’s transition to a green economy, and achieving the ultimate goal of sustainable development.

 

read: https://guyanareddfund.org/index.php/grif-projects/guyana-green-state-development-strategy

Phase 2
2021
October 2021

Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 (Draft)

This draft of the LCDS is the basis for a national consultation to gather input and ideas from all Guyanese.

October 2021 to July 2022

LCDS consultation

The draft LCDS would be under public consultation:

  • E-consultation on this website
  • Consultation with civil society, private sector and other organizations (meetings hold between January and March 2022)
  • Consultation with Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee (MSSC)

 

Read the summary the MSSC meetings:

  1. Read Summary of Meeting of MSSC held on 14th Feb 2022 Final
  2. Read Summary of Meeting of MSSC held on 28 March 2022 Final 
  3. Read Summary of Meeting of MSSC held on 6 June 2022
  4. Read Summary of Meeting of MSSC held on 18 July 2022
  5. Read Summary of Meeting held on 21st October, 2022
2022
2022
2022
March 2022 - June 2022
July 2022
July 2022
August 2022

Total Amount Available for Investment in LCDS: USD $220,800,000

Total Financing Received from Norway: USD $212,597,518

Investment Income: USD $8,300,000

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