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GREEN ECONOMY
Mr Nokta said that the GMSA believed strongly that all Guyanese environmental management systems and conservation of
should be proud of what we have achieved over many years, biodiversity. Put together, this is a platform for ambition, not
noting that the good story that he outlined at the start has incremental change,” he posited.
translated into practical outcomes that we should be using more.
Mr Nokta said that the private sector’s and Government’s
“I made reference of how entire sectors can be built through the challenge in the months ahead was to ask, what do we need to
right kind of partnerships, like has happened with the business do to further support greening of businesses and achieving this
process outsourcing sector. But we have many other strong ambition?
foundations from which to deliver transformative green business
outcomes for our country. In a very short time, we translated He maintained that Guyana needed to work towards building
concepts to reality. This helped others, not just in Guyana but public-private partnerships for green projects and while
around the world and we helped to influence international Government has already initiated several incentive measures
climate change processes. We have one of the world’s lowest to encourage investments in green technologies, consideration
deforestation rates, and the Guyana Forestry Commission should be given to expanding incentives and to considering
operates one of the world’s most advanced forest monitoring performance benefits as a means of encouraging businesses.
systems. We should not be afraid to proclaim these successes
more loudly,” he said strongly. “We should work together to push for an internationally
recognisable Guyana Brand to act as a Green Label for Guyanese
Additionally, at the policy level – to this day, those present were products which takes on board all our efforts, for example on
told that the GMSA believed that the Guyana-Norway partnership EITI, EU-FLEGT, having one of the lowest deforestation rates in
was a model for forest countries across the world because of the world, commitment to renewable energy, etc. Costa Rica and
its central themes – protecting forests; earning revenue; using other countries have made progress with this, but I would argue
revenue to diversify and green the economy; building resilience that we have the potential for a world-leading brand in Guyana.
to climate change – which were radical back then, but were now And the fourth idea is to commence a National Programme for
the goals that were recognised by others. the Greening of Businesses,” he explained.

“There is a commitment by Government to power our economy Mr Nokta’s comments were made even as the GMSA has
through renewable energy and several initiatives are being pledged its support for Government’s Green Agenda and other
pursued. The [Low Carbon Development Strategy] LCDS important environmentally sustainable policy initiatives. The
featured the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project and the [Green GMSA is participating in the Multi-Stakeholder Expert Group for
State Development Strategy] GSDS opens the door to other the Green State Development Strategy with the Chairman of the
options in the future. There is broad consensus on the key Trade and Investment Committee, Mr Clement Duncan serving
economic green sectors, and much work has been done on as the body’s representative.

A section of the audience at the Green Business Forum

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