Tag: sustainability

Jagdeo: ‘Sustainability cannot come at expense of prosperity’

Posted on by Kayleigh Carter

Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo today emphasised the importance of ensuring the involvement of locals as well as the international community in advancing Guyana’s biodiversity initiative model and building on past and ongoing strategies.

He was at the time addressing officials at the launch of Guyana’s inaugural Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit, held at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre in Georgetown.

“It is about the focus, I was thinking about what resonates most with whom. That’s how it’s going to be effective in the model building,” he said.

“The next issue is about involvement of locals in the solution, and making it clear that sustainability cannot come at the expense of prosperity. The two have to be linked together,” he continued.

Dr. Jagdeo further emphasised that in order for the biodiversity strategies Guyana is advancing to work, international collaboration is necessary, as he pointed to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Guyana and the Yale Center for the establishment of an International Centre for Biodiversity Research to advance biodiversity efforts as an example.

“We are here to get financial support for the initiatives. So two things — political support and financial support…it’s important that we understand what resonates most with whom,” he said.

He added that it is important also for the global community to benefit from the work, noting that it must not come at the expense of their future.

“We have to make sure that we keep the focus and that we observe some principles that we can sell the model on. The next thing is that we can get buried in the science. Lots of work has been done, great quality work, for decades on biodiversity and its preservation. So if we are not careful, we get buried in the science,” Dr. Jagdeo warned.

He noted too that a lot of developing countries have limited capacity to strengthen their legislative framework, and Guyana has been able to provide assistance.

“This is a modest beginning for me, but it’s bigger than what we’ve had before. It’s because of the passion, leadership by our President and many others that we’re here today,” Dr. Jagdeo said.

Apple purchases and retires 100,000 carbon credits from Guyana

Posted on by Kayleigh Carter

In a significant stride towards environmental sustainability, global technology leader Apple Inc. has acquired and retired 100,000 carbon credits from Guyana, marking its inaugural engagement with jurisdictional carbon credits under the Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART) framework.

The credits, priced at US$15 each, amount to a total investment of approximately GYD$313 million. Senior Director for Climate and REDD+ at Guyana’s Ministry of Natural Resources, Dr. Pradeepa Bholanauth, confirmed the transaction, highlighting its alignment with Apple’s commitment to offsetting its corporate emissions.

These 2019-vintage credits, representing emission reductions from 2016 to 2020, are part of Guyana’s comprehensive forest conservation efforts encompassing 18 million hectares—about 85 per cent of the country’s landmass. Apple’s 2025 Environmental Progress Report emphasises that this initiative supports the nation’s historically low deforestation rate while funding low-carbon development priorities.

Apple’s engagement with Guyana’s carbon credits follows a precedent set by Hess Corporation, which purchased US$750 million worth of credits in December 2022. This move underscores the growing corporate interest in high-quality, jurisdictional carbon credits as a means to achieve sustainability goals.

Since achieving carbon neutrality in April 2020, Apple has consistently invested in carbon credits from various countries, including Colombia and Kenya. The company’s latest acquisition from Guyana signifies a strategic shift towards large-scale, jurisdictional approaches to carbon offsetting.

Guyana’s participation in the voluntary carbon market has yielded substantial economic benefits, with earnings of US$237.5 million from carbon credit sales between 2022 and 2024. Projections indicate additional revenues of US$250 million for the 2021–2025 period and US$312 million for 2025–2030, as credits are sold at increasing rates of US$20 and US$25 per tonne, respectively.

This collaboration between Apple and Guyana exemplifies a mutually beneficial partnership, advancing global climate objectives while supporting sustainable development in forest-rich nations. (News Americas)