No pressure: Jagdeo tells Indigenous villagers they are free to accept or reject carbon funds
Indigenous village leaders, called Toshaos, were Tuesday told by Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo that they have a choice to accept or reject funds allocated to them from Guyana’s sale of carbon credits.
“Any Toshao, who believes that this programme is not serving your people and your community, is free to opt-out,” Jagdeo told the Toshaos in response to criticisms from one Toshao that Indigenous leaders should have had a greater say in determining how Indigenous people benefit from Guyana’s sale of carbon credits.
“We give you that chance to opt out; you are free not to take it. The money can easily be reallocated to the villages that want it,” Dr Jagdeo declared.
A total of 242 of Guyana’s Indigenous communities will this week begin receiving payments, amounting to billions of dollars, from Guyana’s sale of carbon credits, a scheme through which the country’s rainforest is valued for the harmful greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, it sucks in and stores.
A tonne of carbon is equal to one carbon credit, and the American company Hess has bought 30% of Guyana’s total credits for US$750 million in a 10-year agreement ending in 2032. The payment from Hess is being made in tranches, and last year, 15% of all funds received, totalling close to G$5 billion, went to indigenous communities.
The Toshaos have a legal body called the National Toshaos Council (NTC); it has a very broad mandate which includes planning and developing policies, programmes and projects aimed at sustainable development, general welfare improvement and the promotion of the rights of Indigenous peoples.
But the individual Toshaos and village councils need money to do all of that, especially to drive social and economic projects that would uplift their communities and people.
The Toshaos therefore agreed to opt in to the carbon credits scheme.
Following consultations between the government and Toshaos, an agreement was reached that 15% of all payments received by Guyana from the sale of carbon credits would go to indigenous communities.
Last year the communities received payments for the first time and they are due to receive a similar amount – close to $5 billion – this year.
An additional $100 million was set aside this year for new entrants, such as Community Development Councils which manage small communities with minority Amerindian populations.
On Tuesday, Vice President Jagdeo held an interactive session with Toshaos and throughout the week, they will meet with several government ministers to discuss a range of issues.
He reminded them that it is their villages which decide on how the funds are spent and they also have the right to decide if they want the money or not.
And he was passionate in his defence of the way the ruling PPP/C government has dealt with Toshaos, denouncing attempts by the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) to discredit the consultation programme and the acceptance of the agreement payment terms by the NTC. The APA, Dr Jagdeo pointed out, even sought to stop the carbon credits scheme.
But he said the PPP/C government have always practised a consultative process and has upheld the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent.
He pointed out that President Irfaan Ali attended Day One of the NTC conference and was there again on Tuesday. And throughout the week, almost all the government ministers will hold interactive sessions with the Toshaos. This he said has been a practice since the NTC Conference started under the PPP/C.
“This is a unique thing; you find out from the APA if this happens in any country in the world – any country where Indigenous people live – any country in the world, you ask them,” Dr Jagdeo declared.
He said this broad-based interaction with Indigenous leaders and the government happens “because of the respect for these villages and our job bringing people together not dividing them.”
