The Ministry of Labour, in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation, has recognized the necessity of green jobs, given the threat of climate change and the need for economies to develop in a way that is less impactful on natural resources.
The two entities are hosting a two-day workshop at the Regency Suites in Hadfield Street to discuss the concept of green jobs and to provide all stakeholders with information on the opportunities for job creation and challenges with dealing with green jobs in the low carbon development strategy.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Head of the Office of Climate Change, Shyam Nokta, said that at a time when the world is beset with massive losses of jobs and incomes, a significant number of countries have adopted economic stimulus packages with major investment in greening their economy.
“Large green recovery packages are in place in China, the United States, the Republic of Korea, Japan, the European Union and elsewhere. They include investments in reducing the demand for energy through the promotion of energy efficient buildings, public transport, electrical appliances and cars, as well as diversifying the supply of clean and renewable energy,” he said.
But he said in as much as there are encouraging signs, moving to a Green Economy is not a task without challenges. “Notwithstanding the potential benefits a green economy will provide, the transition will have a profound effect on the way countries produce, consume, and earn a living in all sectors. It will have to be economy-wide, involving enterprises, workers and citizens, and will require political will, innovation and leadership at all levels in societies,” Nokta said.
He explained that the transition will be the challenge many developing countries will face. “At a time when we are witnessing global economic crises, insufficient political will and action on climate action, and cut backs on jobs and investments, the tendency to consolidate rather than innovate is understandable. Many questions still remain. Will the green jobs be sustained over time? What of traditional sectors and employment?” he said.
“We believe the work we are doing here in Guyana through our Low Carbon Development Strategy can potentially provide this example,” he said. Nokta said the LCDS is an innovative approach to combating climate change while simultaneously promoting economic growth and development.
“First released in June 2009, and revised in December 2009 and May 2010, the LCDS sets out how, given the appropriate economic incentives, Guyana can avoid significant emissions of greenhouse gases from deforestation that would occur following an economically rational development path. These incentives will be generated through interim payments for the carbon storage service provided by Guyana’s forests from Guyana’s partnership with the Norwegian Government and other sources, and ultimately through the reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD+) mechanism established under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),” he said.

These payments, he said, will be used to expand economic growth, and will enable Guyana’s economy to be realigned along a low carbon development trajectory. “This will catalyse Guyana’s efforts to diversify its economy and provide new economic opportunities, employment and more efficient use of resources, while maintaining the valuable forest ecosystem,” Nokta said.
Speaking at the event, Minister of Labour Manzoor Nadir said that the steps that Guyana is taking will bring benefits to the country in the longer term. He said Guyanese know the intensity of increases in weather patterns and the loss of economic wealth that comes with flooding. He also spoke of the laying of the fibre-optic cable that the Government is procuring from Brazil and the potential for job creation that this would allow. Also, the Minister does not believe that it is a harebrained idea to have a railway line from the City to Lethem, saying that this will have less of an impact on the environment than a road would.
The working sessions are being led by Two ILO specialists: Ms. Ana Sanchez, Climate Change Specialist, ILO’s Employment Sector, Geneva, Switzerland; and Dr. Reynold Simons, Senior Specialist for Employment and Labour Market Policies, ILO’s Caribbean Office, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
Completing the ILO delegation will be Dr. Ana Theresa Romero, Head of the ILO Caribbean Office.
Tuesday, Sanchez gave an introduction to the concept of “Green Jobs” and an overview of the experiences of different countries in which the ILO’s Green Jobs Programme is being implemented.
Dr. Simons made a presentation that gives an overview of employment and the labour market in Guyana.
Sanchez made a presentation on the tools and methodologies used in the ILO’s Green Jobs Programme.
Yesterday there was a roundtable discussion on the potential for creating Green Jobs in context of the LCDS and the chairperson for this item will be Dr. Ana Teresa Romero. Among the panelists were Sanchez, Nokta, Lelita Shivanand – Consultative Association of Guyanese Industry (CAGI), a representative of the Guyana Forestry Commission/Ministry of Agriculture, a representative of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), and a representative of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC).