Guyana is well-positioned to lead the revolution on protecting biodiversity, said Government of Guyana Advisor, Kevin Hogan.
He stated that the country, having established its credibility for over 16 years by balancing resource development and forest protection through the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), is now poised to set another benchmark in green leadership.
Speaking on this week’s episode of United for Biodiversity, the Alliance podcast, Hogan noted that Guyana is well-positioned to inspire a revolution in global efforts to protect biodiversity. He said the framework for this will be articulated at the Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit, which is slated to be held in Georgetown from July 23 to 25.
“It’s entirely feasible that this year, Guyana will earn over $200 million from the sale of forest climate services,” Hogan said. “If it doesn’t happen this year, it will definitely happen next year. As an export, that puts us in the same zone as rice. I believe rice earned $254 million last year,” he noted.
He emphasised that while sugar and rice are traditionally seen as Guyana’s major exports, forest carbon credits are quickly rising to match them in value.
“No other country in the world has come close to that. During the Guyana-Norway agreement, we were the biggest per capita, while Brazil and Indonesia were larger in absolute terms. But with carbon credits today, Guyana is not only the biggest per capita—we’re the biggest globally,” Hogan said, while crediting the country’s strong leadership for this success.
He added that this sector brings major opportunities for investment, not only in communities and villages, but also in infrastructure, energy, climate adaptation, and other areas outlined in the LCDS.
Guyana’s own energy usage—and its future trajectory, as outlined in the original Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and its updated versions—is part of an energy transition that is more ambitious than almost anywhere in the world.
He explained that the original LCDS placed Amaila Falls at the centre of Guyana’s clean energy plans. Hogan pointed to the Gas-to-Energy project, currently under development, as another major shift in Guyana’s energy landscape.
“Once the Gas-to-Energy project is completed next year, it will not only help cut electricity costs—making a real difference in household bills—but, more importantly, it will also halve the country’s energy-related emissions,” he noted.
Hogan said that unlike other countries, Guyana is reducing its demand for fossil fuels with an extremely ambitious energy transition plan. He added that the country is in a sophisticated position as it relates to oil and its emissions and is well ahead of other oil-producing countries.
