NB: last week we inadvertently published Part (11) of this article, here is Part 1 and the original Part 11 will be carried next week)

By Rear Admiral (Rtd.) Gary A. R. Best
Presidential Advisor on the Environment

THE greening of Guyana’s economy will not be successful if it is conceptualised, developed and implemented in isolation from a wider world view of practices, norms, rules and global environmental governance mechanisms (GEGM). This two-part series contexualises the green economy within the wider global environment governance mechanisms. The concept of global environmental governance is wide and encompassing. However, asccording to Mazi (2009) “Global environmental governance is a comprehensive concept in that it takes in several kinds of organizations, associations, instruments for policy and decision making… to protect the environment from deterioration.” Ford (2003) on the other hand suggests that global governance can be explained as intergovernmental relationships, which now involve non-governmental organisations, citizens’ movements, multinational corporations and the global capital market. A combination of these two definitions appears to cover the expansive nature of the term global environmental governance. However, there is little doubt that this expansive nature of the term global environmenatl governance is not yet finite.

How does this definition relate to greening Guyana’s economy? Adopting the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) definition, “A green economy is one that results in increased human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities” and comparing it to the expansive definition of global environmental governance, one can easily recognise the need for a global governance mechanism to deal with the global environmental problem of climate change and the green economy response. It is important to note also, that the core concept of both global environmental governance and the green economy is protecting the environment from environmental risks, ecological scarcities and deterioration. In that context, understanding global governance principles is pivotal to the success of greening Guyana’s economy.
Further, Ford (2003) posited that global environmental governance was established, at the international level, through the influence of global civil society and there is general agreement that global environmental cooperation and management are crucial inputs in dealing with global environmental degradation. We note also that global society itself is characterised by persons who act voluntarily to pursue various objectives where such global societal organisations are located above the individual, below the state, and across international boundaries. We therefore see global society as an institution of actors impacting citizens interests in diverse ways.

According to Sanwal (2007), strategic planning is the new approach to successful global environmental governance. These planning mechanisms require a strong cross-sectoral approach including non-governmental associations. Strategic planning offers governments and other international institutions an opportunity to integrate environmental planning and protection with sustainable development. In other words, global environmental governance cannot be linear. Therefore, the strategic framework for global environmental governance should incorporate new tools and instruments, including knowledge management, involvement of the private sector, regional thematic partnerships and South-South cooperation.
Similarly and within the context of the greening of Guyana’s economy, a key activity is mainstreaming. In this context, Guyana must consider mainstreaming adaptation, mitigation, financial planning, disaster risk reduction, environment and alternative energy activities into its national development processes while, at the same time, climate- proofing all projects and investments. Guyana must integrate its efforts at meeting, for example, its REDD+ indicators using the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility as its strategic framework for preparation of its Readiness Package.

Meeting international indicators is a global governance action which redounds positively in many ways: firstly, it will qualify the country for international funding from Global Financial Facilities such as the Global Environment Facility, the Green Climate Fund, the Adaptation Fund and others; secondly, it will demonstrate Guyana’s ability to set and achieve key indicators; thirdly, it will provide confidence at national and international levels of the country’s ability to set green economy indicators and its ability to meet them and fourthly, it will provide a solid base for Guyana to attract international funding to drive its green-economy pathway. The funding I speak of here includes the obligatory financing by developed countries of developing countries’ adaptation to and mitigation of climate change.
Meeting international indicators also means that we will have to interact with the global governance systems. The global governance system is an integrated one and, in like manner, a key pillar in greening Guyana’s economy is the establishment of an integrated data-management system that allows for horizontal and vertical integration of policies and actions, nationally and internationally. Establishing an integrated data management system will enable action such as green economic modelling across sectors in order to arrive at the best green economic mix for the country.

There is yet another view of global environmental governance which suggests that it may well be the presence of international agreements, institutions and numerous non-state actors should be seen as today’s primary global environmental governance mechanisms in the absence of a world environment organisation a la World Trade Organisation (Winchester 2007). Further, global environmental governance will have to take cognizance of the critical role played by private capital, private firms, non-governmental organisations, sub-units of government and transgovernmental networks.

In similar manner, so is the greening of Guyana’s economy. Outside of the call for a world environment organisation, Guyana is signatory to most of the key global environment instruments, particularilry, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. Our responsibilites under these conventions are quite challenging to the extent that global governance mechanisms such as non-state actors serve, ostensibly, as enablers at national and international levels. Consequently, various sub-offices of non-state organisations operate in Guyana, which include Conservation International and World Wide Federation. The key national environmental governance activity is to integrate Guyana’s national green agenda into the global environmental mechanisms. Having the right mix, therefore, between the efforts of global governance instititions and national institutions is pivotal to greening Guyana’s economy.

In Part 11, we will look at the United Nations Development Programme as a global governance environmental mechanism. (Comments can be sent to towardsagoodlife@gmail.com)

Mr Gary A R Best is a retired Rear Admiral and former Chief- of- Staff of the Guyana Defence Force. He is an Attorney at Law and the Presidential Advisor on the Environment. He is a PhD candidate at the University of the West Indies. He holds a BSc in Nautical Science (Brazil) and Masters Degrees from the University of the West Indies and the University of London. He is also an alumnus of the National Defence University and Harvard Kennedy School. His research areas include, climate change governance, climate change finance, international relations and environmental law.