Carbon credit revenues fund market facility, sewing & craft centre in Karasabai Village

Vice President (VP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has highlighted ongoing investments in Amerindian communities under Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), pointing to two of the most recent village-led projects funded through carbon credit revenues as evidence of the programme’s impact. In a social media post on Monday, Jagdeo cited the construction of a new market facility and a Women’s Sewing and Craft Centre in Karasabai Village, Region Nine (Upper Takutu- Upper Essequibo). The projects were implemented by the Karasabai Village Council using funds earned from the sale of carbon credits. He noted in the post that between 2023 and early 2025, more than $14.5 billion was disbursed to 248 Amerindian villages to support community-driven development initiatives.

On December 31, 2025, Amerindian Affairs Minister, Sarah Browne-Shadeek in an online interview had said that more than $14.5 billion had been distributed to Amerindian villages over the past three years through the LCDS, recognising the role Indigenous communities play in protecting Guyana’s forest resources.

Browne-Shadeek explained that following the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government’s return to office in August 2020, the LCDS, first launched in 2009, was expanded to ensure more direct benefits to Amerindian villages. She disclosed that disbursements from carbon credit earnings accounted for 15 per cent, 26.5 per cent and 20 per cent over the last three years, bringing total allocations to $14.5 billion. According to the Minister, the funds are being used to support sustainable livelihoods, strengthen climate resilience and advance village-led development, while preserving the environment. She also pointed to parallel investments in education in hinterland communities, including improvements to school facilities, teacher training, learning resources, scholarships, dormitories and transportation. Beyond LCDS funding, Amerindian villages continue to receive direct financial support through Presidential grants and national budget allocations. Between 2020 and 2025, $2.168 billion was invested under the Presidential Grant Programme, representing a 128 per cent increase since 2020. During that period, 253 villages, with a combined population of 107,622, benefited from community-driven projects. Browne-Shadeek emphasised that villages determine how funds are used, whether for agriculture, ecotourism, small business development, craft production or food security initiatives. She added that the Government continues to invest in training, entrepreneurship and skills development, particularly for Indigenous youth. Guyana’s LCDS is supported by carbon credit revenues generated from the preservation of its rainforests. In 2023, the Government signed a multi-year agreement valued at US$750 million with Hess Corporation, enabling the annual sale of 2.5 million carbon credits. The first payment of US$150 million was received in 2023, with US$22.5 million disbursed to more than 242 Amerindian, hinterland, rural and riverine communities, based largely on population size.