Guyana Sells Forest-Based Carbon Credits Amid Emission Discrepancies

Guyana has sold jurisdictional forest-based carbon credits, with no reported pricing or transactional costs. The government claims the country acts as a net carbon sink, despite a report indicating it has been a net emitter since 1990. The Minister for Natural Resources is requested to clarify the basis of this claim and the steps taken to verify carbon credit marketing. Additionally, concerns are raised about deforestation primarily due to gold mining, which undermines carbon credits' legitimacy.

Published Mar 22, 2026

On March 19, a report revealed that Guyana has sold jurisdictional forest-based carbon credits, but no pricing or transactional costs have been disclosed. The government maintains that Guyana is a net carbon sink, despite data from the Guyana Forestry Commission showing it has emitted more forest carbon than it absorbed since 1990.

AI-curated by Theia

Requests have been made for the Minister of Natural Resources to explain this claim. Additionally, the Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 estimates Guyana's forest carbon stock at 19.5-21.8 gigatonnes in 2020, with an annual addition of 154 million tonnes.

However, significant deforestation, primarily due to gold mining, has led to net emissions. Compliance with Mining Regulations for land restoration is not enforced, resulting in minimal reforestation compared to annual losses.