Partnering with the University of Guyana Green Institute, in 2022-23 the UN in Guyana has hosted a series of policy dialogues to consider policy options for responding to the triple challenge of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Consistent with the right of all people in Guyana to self-development, opportunity, and a healthy environment, the dialogues have considered Guyana’s growth trajectory, the global transition away from fossil fuels, and incentives in environmental protection. The latest science on climate change and its impact on the planet Professor Schlosser’s presentation considers global population dynamics, the ‘carrying capacity’ of the planet, and the effects on the environment of human engineering (or the ‘anthropocene’). By demonstrating trends in global energy consumption, Professor Schlosser focuses on the urgency of the energy transition. He continues by summarizing the hugely damaging effects of global temperature rises already being experienced on every continent today. The presentation further considers the huge investments required to keep global heating below 1.5°C. Indeed Professor Schlosser argues that this target may already be unattainable, and that efforts must now be focused on averting a rise in temperatures of 2°C as compared to pre-industrial levels. He notes that whilst nature-based solutions will have a role, coalitions of states, scientists and businesses will need to cooperate on new technologies (including carbon capture and sequestration) to remove up to 20 gigatons of CO2 from the atmosphere annually by 2050 if worst-case scenarios are to be averted. In summarizing, Professor Schlosser argues that for climate action to bear fruit, the global community will need to adopt the language of ‘planetary boundaries’ (or the earth’s ‘carrying capacity’); will need to assign different values to global goods (including by adopting a universal price on carbon); and rapidly accelerate the adoption of renewable energy sources. Watch the presentation here: https://bit.ly/3HbhJ22. About Professor Peter Schlosser Peter Schlosser is the vice president and vice provost of Global Futures at Arizona State University. He is an expert in the Earth’s hydrosphere and how humans affect the planet’s natural state. He directs the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory and is the University Professor of Global Futures. Prior to joining ASU, Professor Schlosser was the Maurice Ewing and J. Lamar Worzel Professor of Geophysics and Chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, and the deputy director and director of research at the Earth Institute at Columbia University. He is a member of the German National Academy of Sciences, an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences, the American Geophysical Union, and the Explorers Club.   Transport in Economic, Spatial, Social and Environmental Development The presentation from Professor Roger Vickerman situates transportation systems within broader discussions on net zero and air pollution. It considers the notion of transport justice (the way in which access to transportation has differential economic outcomes for specific population segments), as well as the relative share of carbon emissions accounted for by the private and public components of transportation systems. The presentation highlights the costs to public health associated with worsening air quality as road traffic increases. Reviewing different transportation networks (notably roads and waterways), Professor Vickerman further considers the relative advantages of private and public transport systems, including questions of cost, integration, regulation and disability inclusion. His presentation ends with a series of policy implications on future transport sector planning in Guyana. Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 directly considers the necessity of building the relevant infrastructure for low carbon public and private transportation systems. Watch presentation here: https://bit.ly/3XArpdq. About Professor Roger Vickerman Professor Roger Vickerman is Emeritus Professor of European Economics at the University of Kent. He is also a Visiting Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London. From 2009 to 2014 he was Dean of the Brussels School of International Studies and then 2014-2017 Dean for Europe. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences; a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and a Fellow of the Regional Studies Association. His research focuses on the relationship between transport and economic development.   Building Resilience in the face of Climate Change: lessons from the field Dr. Samantha Stratton-Short addresses the role of resilient infrastructure in climate change mitigation, adaptation and emergency response. Her presentation demonstrates the relevance of infrastructure to nine tenths of all SDG targets, but also shows that infrastructure systems of various kinds are directly or indirectly responsible for 79 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. The stakes are huge, with the costs of building critical infrastructure out to 2040 estimated at US$97 trillion globally. Drawing on relevant case studies in St. Lucia, Ghana and Tonga, Dr. Stratton-Short’s presentation shows how properly-planned and executed investments in sustainable infrastructure offer major dividends in resilience, safety and economic development. The presentation shows how, by partnering with national planning ministries, and with the University of Oxford, UNOPS has been able to provide comprehensive assessments of priority infrastructure needs, as well as match-making specific initiatives to sources of finance. Guyana is budgeted to nearly triple public capital expenditure from US$500 million in 2021 to US$1.9 billion in 2023. Capital projects listed in the 2023 budget include an infrastructure development programme (US$240m), the gas-to-energy project to address electricity demand and reliability (US$208m), and improvements in public roads (US$163m). Watch presentation here: https://bit.ly/40dYyxs. About Dr. Samantha Stratton-Short Dr. Samantha-Stratton-Short is Head of Strategic Initiatives at the UN Office of Project Support (UNOPS). UNOPS provides infrastructure, procurement and project management services to help build resilient and sustainable societies. Samantha is an architect with a PhD in sustainable development and a career in sustainability and resilience. Dr. Stratton-Short previously led Arup's international development division in Asia, based in the Philippines. She has over 25 years’ international experience managing programmes and advising governments, foundations, international finance institutions, NGOs and donors.   Urbanisation and Socioeconomic Development: What We Know, and What We are Learning Professor Luis Bettencourt considers the historical relationship between socio-economic development and urbanisation, and sustainable models of city living. Using Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and the New Urban Agenda as a foundation, he presents the expansion of cities as a potential accelerator for human development, with significant scope for improved health, educational, security and cultural outcomes. The presentation uses case studies to explore models of sustainable vs. unsustainable urban development (about 70 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from urban centres, despite them accounting for just 2 percent of landmass). He offers a set of policy considerations for Guyana, including addressing out-migration and developing quantifiable sustainability plans for urban centres, including those outside the capital, Georgetown. In 2023, Guyana will begin work on Silica City, a ‘smart’ urban centre close to the Linden-Soesdyke Highway, as part of the country’s Low Carbon Development Strategy. Watch presentation here: https://bit.ly/3HawcLx. About Professor Luis M. A. Bettencourt Professor Luis Bettencourt is Professor of Ecology and Evolution and Associate Faculty in Sociology at the University of Chicago. He is the Inaugural Pritzker Director of the Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation at the University of Chicago, and External Professor of Complex Systems at the Santa Fe Institute. Trained initially as a theoretical physicist, Professor Bettencourt has held postdoctoral positions at the University of Heidelberg (Germany), Los Alamos National Laboratory (Director’s Fellow and Slansky Fellow) and at MIT (Center for Theoretical Physics). He has worked extensively on complex systems theory and on cities and urbanization, in particular. His research emphasizes the creation of new interdisciplinary synthesis to describe cities in quantitative and predictive ways.   The Human Right to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment The presentation from Benjamin Schachter provides an introduction to rights-based environmental action, including the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, unanimously passed at the UN General Assembly in July 2022. The presentation underlines the role of the law in achieving environmental justice, and situates environmental action with respect to “rights holders” (i.e. people) and their entitlements, and “duty bearers” (states, businesses) and their obligations. It provides practical examples of where rights-based approaches have secured environmental protections, and summarises the principal components of the resolution passed, namely the right to a safe and stable climate, a healthy ecosystem, a non-toxic environment, and to justice and inclusion. In addition to helping pass the 2022 vote at the General Assembly, Guyana is also committed to protecting the human right to a sustainable environment through its constitution (Articles 25, 36 and 149J), and via its signature and ratification of the Escazú Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean. Watch presentation here: https://bit.ly/3XT5mz3. About Benjamin Schachter Mr. Benjamin Schachter coordinates the Environment and Climate Change Team at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva. His work focuses on the advancement of the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment through improved understanding of the human rights impacts of climate change and other forms of environmental degradation.   Bioenergy and Development, with Recent Insights from Brazil’s Bioenergy/Agro-Industry Professor Luiz Horta Nogueira provides a global perspective on bioenergy and its potential to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality. His presentation focuses on the use of sugarcane as a feedstock for biofuels. Also covered is Brazil’s positive experience in introducing biofuels across its transportation sector through a national biofuels policy (RenovaBio). Professor Nogueira considers the potential for increased adoption of biofuels in Guyana, as explored through existing viability studies. The presentation by Professor Lee Rybeck Lynd further situates the vital role of bioenergy and biofuels in tomorrow’s global energy mix. The presentation scrutinizes non-fossil substitutes for the heavy liquid fuels (HLFs) required for aviation, shipping, and heavy goods vehicles: demand for such HLFs is likely to remain high well into the final third of the century. Professor Lynd also highlights the relative ‘capturability’ of the carbon emissions derived from cellulosic biofuels, a clear advantage in the race to net zero. Professor Lynd advocates for continued investment in biofuel science and technology to ensure they play a full role in the energy transition. Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 recalls the country’s practical experience in the use of biomass as an energy resource for self-consumption (like rice husk in the rice mills; the use of the distillate waste to produce biomethane at Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), or the use of bagasse for co-generation at Skeldon and Albion Sugar Estates). Further significant investments in biofuel technology and infrastructure would be required in order to make biofuels a significant component of Guyana’s energy mix in future. Watch presentation here: https://bit.ly/3GQEzwU.  About Professor Luiz A Horta Nogueira Professor Luiz Horta Nogueira was Professor of Thermodynamics at the Federal University of Itajubá until 2014. Previously, he was visiting scientist at the Forestry Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and Technical Director of the Brazilian Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels. From 2017-2021, he was President of Brazil’s Bioenergy Society. In December 2021 he was inducted into Brazil’s Order of Rio Branco. Professor Nogueira has previously served as a consultant on energy studies to UN ECLAC. About Professor Lee Rybeck Lynd Professor Lee Rybeck Lynd is a renowned expert on the use of plant biomass for production of energy, and presently Paul E. and Joan H. Queneau Distinguished Professor of Engineering at Dartmouth Engineering Thayer School. He is co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of biofuel start-up Enchi Corp., and technical lead at the Center for Bioenergy Innovation. He founded and is Executive Committee Chair of the Global Sustainable Bioenergy Initiative. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a past winner of the Lemelson MIT Sustainability Prize.   The Living Amazon: Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Mitigation in a Complex World Kurt Holle presents the key findings from WWF’s The Living Amazon Report 2022. Published just weeks before the Kunming-Montreal COP15 Biodiversity Conference, the report recalls the biodiversity, cultural diversity, and irreplaceable ecosystem services of the Amazon Basin and Biome, and discusses how to build diversity whilst responding to demand for socio-economic development. As a signatory to the Leticia Pact, Guyana has already joined five other countries in Latin America committed to urgent action to protect the Amazon Rainforest and Guiana Shield. The presentation considers the conditions which could result in a ‘tipping point’ for the Amazon, in particular the consequences if 20 percent of the Amazon is deforested (current deforestation is between 18 percent to 19 percent). The presentation further addresses the risks of roadbuilding in contexts where there are shortfalls in political and administrative governance. Finally, the presentation focusses on the conservation successes achieved through the establishment of protected areas and Amerindian land titling. To date, Guyana has titled close to 20 percent of its lands to indigenous people. Watch presentation here: https://bit.ly/3Xc0LqG.   About Kurt Holle Kurt Holle is a conservation and ecotourism entrepreneur, and presently the WWF Country Representative for Peru. He founded Rainforest Expeditions in Peru in the 1990s, offering trips to the Amazon. He also is Co-Founder of Deep in Forest, an investment network designed to scale businesses that are working with communities and their forests. He has previously worked with leading conservation and forest protection organizations such as the Moore Foundation, Swisscontact Worldwide and Nature Services Peru.   Carbon Pricing and International Carbon Markets: Considerations for Guyana, the Region, and the World Daniella Suger explains the concepts of carbon pricing and carbon markets. Referring to Article 6 of the Paris Climate Agreement (UNFCCC), which addresses voluntary international cooperation on the reduction of carbon emissions, the presentation outlines the current global state of carbon pricing instruments and carbon markets. It considers further opportunities and challenges for countries like Guyana which are engaging in the carbon credits market. In December 2022, Guyana entered an agreement with the Hess Corporation for the sale of carbon credits valued at US$750 million over the period 2022 and 2032. Watch presentation here: https://bit.ly/3Vz3KcT. About Daniella Suger Daniella Suger was the Paris Agreement Article 6 Negotiator for Guatemala at COP23 and at COP26. She is presently a Carbon Markets Consultant for the Green Climate Fund Readiness project “Increasing the ambition of the Nationally Determined Contributions and climate financing in Central América” with UNEP. The project provides support to El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.   True Development and Natural Resources – What is the Connection? Professor Ricardo Hausmann uses a series of historical cases to interrogate trajectories of economic growth and productivity. Professor Hausmann describes the respective roles of technology and accumulated know-how in national economic fortunes and provides insights and policy choices relevant to resource rich economies including Guyana’s. Watch presentation here:  https://bit.ly/3rPHNIN. About Professor Ricardo Hausmann Ricardo Hausmann is the founder and Director of Harvard’s Growth Lab and the Rafik Hariri Professor of the Practice of International Political Economy at Harvard Kennedy School. Professor Hausmann served as the First Chief Economist of the Inter-American Development Bank from 1994-2000. He was Venezuela’s Minister of Planning from 1992-1993. He also served as Chair of the IMF-World Bank Development Committee.   Challenges for Structural Change and Technology Upgrading in Small, Resource-Rich Economies The presentation by Dr. Danilo Spinola highlights the economic and structural impacts of commodity booms in developed and developing economies. His presentation explores the concepts of volatility, economic structure, and balance of payments constraints. Assessing degrees of economic complexity in emerging economies, Dr. Spinola’s presentation introduced a series of ideas further explained in a policy dialogue by Professor Ricardo Hausmann. Watch the presentation here: https://bit.ly/3DXFYAB.   About Dr. Danila Spinola Dr. Danilo Spinola is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at Birmingham City University (BCU). He has previously worked for the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET). Dr. Spinola is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).   Forests, Petroleum and Natural Gas: IPCC Findings Relevant for Guyana The presentation by Professor Jim Skea addresses findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s Sixth Assessment Report most relevant to Guyana. Professor Skea explains the science behind measuring and accounting for carbon dioxide emissions; the role that renewable energy must play to achieve net zero by mid-century; mechanisms for measuring CO2 removals from the atmosphere; and the notion of ‘just energy’ transitions. Watch presentation here: https://bit.ly/3VqGL3M. About Professor Jim Skea Jim Skea is Professor of Sustainable Energy at Imperial College London. He is Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group III for the 6th assessment cycle. He was previously Research Director of the UK Energy Research Centre and Director of the Policy Studies Institute. Professor Skea was a member of the UK Committee on Climate Change from 2008 to 2018 and is the Chair of Scotland’s Just Transition Commission. From 2015-17, he was President of the UK Energy Institute.

Food insecurity affected 40 percent of the total population of Latin America and the Caribbean, higher than the global average of 29.3 percent. This is one of the stark messages that can be found in the Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition – Latin America and the Caribbean 2022, a seminal publication recently launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and other UN agencies last week. It further sheds light on the fact that millions of families in the world lack access to food. The report highlights how rising international food prices and inflation have affected economic access to nutritious food, especially for the poorest. This is because they spend a higher proportion of their income on food compared to those with more resources, deteriorating food security. Additionally, the report concludes that, throughout the region of Latin America and the Caribbean, there is a link between the lack of economic access or affordability of a healthy diet with the levels of poverty, income inequality, and economic growth of the countries, as well as with the levels of hunger and other forms of malnutrition.  Access to healthy nutrition provides a critical advantage to a productive, healthy life. National development literally depends on it. In 2020, the report notes, an estimated 42 percent (almost 3.1 billion people!) of the global population could not afford a healthy diet due to the increased cost of dietary components. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the figure was 22.5 percent (131 million people), representing an increase of 8 million over the 2019 figure. Of concern, the report concludes that the region has the highest cost of a healthy diet compared to the rest of the world. The average value was calculated as USD 3.89 per day per person in the region, while the world average is USD 3.54. Initial estimates for Guyana in the report indicate that the average cost of a healthy diet is approximately USD 4.89. Neighbouring Suriname is noted to have the highest cost in South America, at USD 5.74 per day per person. Like most countries, those of Latin America and the Caribbean have been considerably affected by the global economic slowdown, the climate crisis, the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the recent conflict in Ukraine have had profound effects on agrifood systems and food.  How can this report help? Guyana continues to make good on its economic progress, including the welcomed news that in 2022, the agriculture sector saw a 12 percent growth, contributing to the non-oil sector. Ensuring that the impact of the global food crisis is minimized, particularly for vulnerable families and small farmers and fishers, requires a multifaceted approach. The measures that Guyana has implemented in response to the food crisis are helping producers (farmers, fishers, and agro-foresters) to maintain and even increase production, as well as take advantage of emerging market opportunities. Other initiatives that deliver food or transfer support (in cash or in-kind) to the most vulnerable groups can buffer them from the most severe effects. Food and nutrition education will assist families and communities to make healthier choices with limited resources. It is also vital that support continues for programmes that empower people to embrace new skills and income opportunities which ultimately ensures inclusive development, leaving no one behind.   Regionally, CARICOM’s response to agriculture and food security, the 25 percent input substitution by 2025 initiative, is a relevant response. Producing and promoting more but healthier food within the region can also support affordable healthy diets for all and unlock new opportunities for regional food producers.   One year after the Global Food System Summit, which called on all countries to take action to transform food systems, Guyana has highlighted the national and regional progress being made. The important gains are due to commitment and coordination across sectors and between CARICOM countries. FAO’s programme of work will continue to support these efforts to encourage increased trade, build resilience of farmers and fishers against risk, improve productive farming and fishing practices, especially with climate-smart solutions, strengthen policy that promotes affordable healthy diets and open new and inclusive agriculture and food systems opportunities for all. Enhancing the marketing of nutritious foods is strongly encouraged. These and other actions will improve the affordability of nutritious food and improve the quality of life of the 131 million people in Latin America, and the Caribbean who could not afford a healthy diet. The FAO reinforces our commitment to continue supporting countries to create an environment where healthy, affordable diets are available for all and where food producers can maximize their livelihoods. 

According to the latest data, an estimated 244 million children and youth worldwide are not in school, 763 million young people and adults are illiterate, and fewer than 5 per cent of the population aged 15-plus participate in adult education in almost one-third of countries across the globe. Their right to education is being violated. To mark this year’s International Day of Education on 24 January, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) is calling on the international community to increase efforts to promote a universal right to education, regardless of age, background or geographical location. With over half of humanity currently living in cities and an estimated two-thirds of the population expected to reside in urban areas by 2050, local communities are key to ensuring lifelong learning opportunities are available to all by 2030. As UIL Director David Atchoarena notes, 'Against the backdrop of a global recession, growing inequalities and the climate crisis, lifelong learning must be prioritized to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Only lifelong education, starting in the earliest years in life, can break the cycle of poverty, improve health outcomes, prepare people for decent jobs with opportunities to reskill and upskill, and mitigate climate change. We must drastically scale-up our efforts and translate commitments into actions! UNESCO learning cities across the globe prove we can make this happen.' Investing in people at the local level In line with this year’s International Day of Education theme, ‘Invest in people; prioritize education’, 294 UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) have positioned lifelong learning at the top of their agendas, thereby advancing inclusive learning from early childhood to the third age. By mobilizing resources across diverse sectors to live up to the international commitment of providing everyone with an opportunity to learn throughout life, UNESCO GNLC members celebrate lifelong learning and demonstrate how local communities fulfil the global commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals. To mark this year’s International Day of Education, UNESCO learning cities from around the world will host local events to celebrate the power of lifelong learning. Among the many activities that are planned, the City of Vinh (Viet Nam) will host a writing competition on the benefits of lifelong learning; the mayors of the Irish network of learning cities will present their lifelong learning activities in a joint message to the wider public; learners and educators from Kilifi County (Kenya) will raise their hands to extol learning across the entire lifespan; La Matanza County (Argentina) will showcase its technology trainings for older adults; and the Municipality of Elefsina (Greece) will present its lifelong learning programmes for local people of all ages. 
Republished from UNESCO

Port of Spain (ILO News) - Two new reports published on 19 December 2022, by the International Labour Organization (ILO), in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), highlight main occupational and skills needs in the oil and gas and construction sectors in Guyana upon surveying the private sector. The accelerated expansion of the oil and gas operations has exposed a pronounced gap between the industry’s labour demand and the availability of skilled workers at the local level. If not addressed, the latter will likely slow down the growth of the sector and of the whole economy or, at the very least, generate inefficiencies in the firm level performance and for the economy. Using newly-collated data the analysis in Prospective occupational skills needs in the Guyanese oil and gas and construction industries, 2022-2026 is meant to support the Government of Guyana, local stakeholders, employers, workers’ representatives, TVET institutions and academia to assess and, to the extent possible, anticipate the labour demand and skills needs. It also provides an overview of how those needs are or could be addressed via the present educational infrastructure. Engineers, specialists in occupational health and safety, and ship deck crews lead the list of “most in demand” profiles in the oil and gas industry over the next five years while building frame workers, engineers and mobile plant operators are the most coveted in construction. Associated with those and perceived as not sufficiently available in the country, private sector respondents pointed out, for oil and gas, the need to upgrade technical skills such as rigging, welding, capacity to ensure compliance with health and safety standards, and knowledge of nautical systems; and for construction, the need to upgrade IT skills to guarantee that they complement solid technical ones. “Our findings show that oil and gas and construction will need a substantial number of workers in the next five years, at least-some 5,000 and 8,000 respectively” commented Diego Rei, ILO Office for the Caribbean Employment Specialist and one of the authors of the study: “It is in the interest of everyone to ensure that the profiles sought are known in advance to design  suitable policy response and allow students and the working population to make informed educational and career choices." Minister of Labour, The Honourable Joseph Hamilton, welcomed the reports stating, "the information in the reports from both ILO and IOM is important for us in the Government to give us some guidance and some understanding as to what we must do."   For more information, please contact toussaint@ilo.org  or ilocarib@ilo.org  Key resources Prospective occupational skills needs in the Guyanese oil and gas industry, 2022-2026 Prospective occupational skills needs in the Guyanese construction industry, 2022-2026