Latest update December 17th, 2024 3:32 AM
T&T Professor calls for strengthening of EPA
…says this critical in ensuring climate change objectives are met
Kaieteur News – If Guyana is to achieve the climate change objectives it has set out, the country will need to ensure its Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is strengthened to monitor the petroleum sector.
T&T Professor, Dr. Anthony Bryan (Photo credit: Caricom Energy)
This was one of the key points highlighted by Professor Anthony Bryan, who is also an Honorary Senior Fellow with the Institute of International Relations at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. Dr. Bryan who is also a Senior Associate of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C was a panelist on the Guyana Business Journal and Magazine’s 10th edition of its online series that seeks to bring awareness to the local industry.
Wednesday’s discussion focused on ‘Unlocking Guyana’s Oil and Gas Potential: Balancing Energy Development and Environmental Stewardship’. It was founded on a study done by Guyana’s Dr. Ulric Trotz, who is the Deputy Director and Science Adviser for the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre in Belize.
In his presentation, Professor Bryan said Dr. Trotz spoke of strengthening institutional capacity to monitor and regulate the oil and gas industry. “I think he has pointed out that the focus that needs to be on providing the EPA in Guyana with the capacity to provide Guyana with oversight to ensure that the gas and oil operations do not in any way compromise the integrity of fragile eco-systems to the extent that it disrupts livelihoods and negatively impact the lives and wellbeing of the citizens of Guyana.”
The Trinidad and Tobago expert who is a leading scholar and an independent consultant on energy development (oil and natural gas), believes: “there needs to be a great deal more oversight in managing oil projects and in managing the resources that come from there.” He said he has taken note of the protests and comments from environmentalists in Guyana pertaining to the permitting process for these developments as he urged Guyana to ensure its “fantastic natural resources”, particularly oil and gas, does not negatively impact climate change.
The local EPA has been handing out Permits to American oil giant ExxonMobil to harvest the resources discovered offshore. At the same time, it has been struggling to keep up in terms of monitoring the sector. Strides have been made slowly in this regard, especially since a US$20 million World Bank project was shelved. The loan was taken by the former Coalition government to boost the capacity of the environmental watchdog group, responsible for monitoring and regulating the sector.
The US$20M project has four components: Component A – Enhancement of Legal Framework and Stakeholder Engagement: (US$3.20 M), Component B – Capacity Building of Key Institutions: (US $10.70 M), Component C – Enhancement of Fiscal Management Systems: (US$3.50 M), and Component – D. Project Management & Project Preparation Facilities: (Cost $2.60 M).
The incumbent administration has so far said that a portion of the loan will go towards consultancy services in the Review and Evaluation of the Field Development Plans (FDP) for the fifth offshore project- Uaru. More recently, the Ministry of Natural Resources reported that another portion of the World Bank Guyana Petroleum Resources Governance and Management Project (GPRGMP) US$20M loan, will be used to support capacity building within the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC)- the agency expected to play the lead role in the pertinent Petroleum Commission. This World Bank loan had been secured by the previous administration since 2019 to immediately boost Guyana’s capacity in managing and advancing the position of its lucrative oil and gas sector.
- Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Dr. Anthony Bryan, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Guyana Business Journal and Magazine, T&T Professor
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The oil industry is a casino of cash, power and corruption
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- According to MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow in her book, Blowout: “The oil and gas industry... more
Let the asylum seekers go: a first step for Venezuela to rebuild relations in the Americas
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News – The government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela has steadfast support from many... more
Weekend Cartoon
