GSDS Vision 2040 – Going beyond environmental protection

─ policy encompasses transparency, good governance, accountability, diversification and fiscal policies among others

─ “green economy” concept in line with international movement of countries developing their industries without degrading natural resources 

DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, July 17, 2019

The Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) Vision 2040 is a twenty-year, national development policy that incorporates the guiding vision and principles of a ‘green agenda’.

Conceptualised in December 2016, the GSDS centres on development which will provide a better quality of life for all Guyanese by harnessing the country’s natural wealth. This takes into consideration the diversity of Guyana’s peoples and abundant natural resources.

In an exclusive interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), Stakeholder Management Coordinator at the Department of Environment (DOE) and point-person on the GSDS, Onika Stellingburg, said the strategy goes beyond environmental protection noting that there is a general misconception of the document. According to Stellingburg, the policy encompasses transparency, good governance, accountability, diversification and fiscal policies among others.

“The result would be preserving the environment, but it is an economic development strategy that shows how we can advance every single sector of the economy without degrading our natural environment,” she emphasised.

Stellingburg noted that the “green economy” concept is in line with the international movement of countries developing their industries without degrading their natural resources.

There are three key messages under Vision 2040. These are managing natural resources wealth, supporting economic resilience and building human capacity. These are further broken down into eight development objectives:

– Economics Restructuring and Diversification

– Sustainable Management of Natural Resources

– Transition to Renewable and Clean Energy

– Resilient Infrastructure and Green Towns

– Healthy, Educated and Socially Cohesive Population

– Internationally Competitive Trade and Investment

– Good Governance and Strong Institutions

– Sound Fiscal Policy

According to Stellingburg, once the framework document was conceptualised, stakeholder consultations were held in every region of Guyana since it is a policy for the people. She stressed the importance of engaging various stakeholders at every level since it is “a bottom-up policy”. The DOE partnered with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Conservation International Guyana to conduct these stakeholder engagements.

“The hinterland areas had a specific set of consultations that were organised by WWF, and we sent the technical people to be part of it. On the coastal areas, we worked with Conservation International to host what we called ‘green conversations’,” she explained.

There are policy guidelines under the GSDS for each of Guyana’s major sectors which will enable a transition into a green state.

The completed document was handed over to His Excellency, President David Granger on May 28, 2019, in the presence of his Cabinet.

The entire Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) document can be found on the Department of Environment’s website; https://doe.gov.gy/gsds

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