Challenges to Commonwealth ‘Green Transitions’ : the case of Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago

This event will take place at 18:00 BST London Time (13:00 Eastern Standard Time (Washington DC/Bridgetown/Port of Spain/Georgetown)/14:00 (Kingston, Jamaica).

Check the local time of this event via: https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/

Trinidad and Tobago has been one of the Caribbean’s leading oil producers since the discovery of oil in 1968. Although the importance of oil earnings to the Trinidad exchequer has declined from a high point of 35% of GDP in 1980 to 2.5% in 2020, the government’s commitment to ‘green transitions’ still poses challenges to the restructuring of the country’s political economy. The discovery of oil in neighbouring Guyana promises to transform its economy. Guyana has recently been described as being among potential energy superbasins of the world. Overall,  estimated foreign earnings from oil exceed $2 billion p.a (The ExxonMobil Stabroek bloc has an estimated 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent.)  However, how widely will this oil bonanza be distributed?

This seminar will consider the comparative cases of Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana, and the choices and limitations confronting both countries in fulfilling their public commitment to green transitions. Discussion will touch on themes of strategic planning, the structure of the oil sector, scope for regional connectivities and collaboration, and ask the question, ‘Can states buck the ‘resource curse’?’ What chances are there for energy and research innovation, South/South trade, policy autonomy, technical training and education? Do the challenges of corruption and vested interests, and limited institutional capacity and data generation, pose significant threats? What of the potential problems of over reliance on external multinational corporations, such as EXxon? Can lessons be drawn from the experience and policy/business response in these Commonwealth countries? 

Confirmed speakers:

Dr Roger Hosein
Dr. Roger Hosein is a graduate of The University of the West Indies with first class honours who went on to obtain his Ph.D. in Economics from Cambridge University in 2000. He joined the Department of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of the West Indiest, St. Augustine Campus, later that year and currently holds the position of Senior Lecturer.

His research interests focuses on International Trade with emphasis on the Dutch Disease, Rybczynski and Reverse Rybzynski theory. He has also done work on intra industry trade, the natural trading partner hypothesis and economic integration.

Dr Thomas Singh:  
Dr Thomas Singh is a senior lecturer in the Department of Economics, University of Guyana. Prior ot this, he was the coordinator of the Institute of Development Studies, U/Guyana. As a Visiting Commonwealth Academic Fellow at the School of Economics, University of Kent (Canterbury(, he worked with Dr Edward Cartwright on 'Culture, Institutions and Economic Behaviour'. He also writes an occasional blog entitled Economics and Development: an Insider's View.