Guyana’s LCDS 2030 needed now more than ever – UN Resident Coordinator

Guyana’s revised Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 (LCDS 2030) is more important now than ever as the world continues to battle the effects of climate change, according to United Nations Resident Coordinator to Guyana Ye?im Oruç.
In her World Environment Day message, published in Saturday’s edition of Guyana Times, the UN official said “First, on climate change itself, and the race to global net-zero, Guyana’s commitment to adopting carbon development model, described in the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS 2030), is now more important than ever. Specifically, Guyana’s ambitions on energy are crucial. If LCDS targets are achieved, it would see the country meet a tenfold increase in demand for electricity supply by 2040 whilst retaining greenhouse gas emissions at 2018 levels. This would be an extraordinary example of how economic growth can be decoupled from carbon emissions.”

Launched by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali in November 2021, the new and expanded LCDS programme, which is still in its draft stages, seeks to create a new low-carbon economy in Guyana by establishing incentives that value the world’s ecosystem services, and promote these as an essential component of a new model of global development with sustainability at its core.
In Guyana’s case, it is about harnessing the value of the country’s ecosystem services to build a long-term, low-carbon diversification opportunity.
Importantly, the new LCDS programme intends to align its operations with global climate change goals. Guyana will act strategically and responsibly as the sector develops, supporting global energy security while diversifying and decarbonising Guyana’s domestic economy and investing in development priorities for all Guyanese, including health, education and low-carbon opportunities.
At the same time, the Government will advocate internationally for a strong global carbon price and the removal of subsidies on fossil fuel – to incentivise the lowest carbon, most cost-effective oil and gas in the global marketplace in line with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement under which there will be demand for decades to come. In parallel, Guyana will advance a “no flaring” policy, and mandate the use of best technology in the oil and gas sector to limit its environmental impact.
In her message, Oruç said that she anticipates that Guyana, along with other developing states, will continue to call on the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters to decarbonise their economies a lot faster than is the current trend. She added that the historical and contemporary emitters should also be pressed to meet their commitment of the US$100 billion financing for climate change and adaptation needs of developing countries.
“On biodiversity loss, Guyana’s protection of its rainforest is an achievement of which the country is rightly proud, but we know that demand for livelihoods (in mining, in timber, and in agriculture) continues to put pressure on the country’s natural heritage,” she said.
The UN representative added that working with Indigenous communities, which are regarded as the guardians of the country’s biodiversity, is of key importance to Guyana. Additionally, she lauded the Government’s commitment to expanding the country’s officially protected areas beyond the current 8.5 per cent.
Oruç further stated that with Guyana rapidly expanding its oil and gas industry, it should have mechanisms in place to ensure that oil companies and national authorities are fully prepared to respond quickly and effectively to any kind of spill.
“The recent spill in Peru demonstrates that we can never reduce risk to zero. So the 2020 launch of Guyana’s National Oil Spill Contingency Plan is a welcome development: continued close collaboration between operators, insurers and national emergency responders is critical to ensure readiness for a worst case scenario,” the UN official stated.
She added that world leaders need to act faster now as climate change is rapidly accelerating.