Abstract
The objective of this thesis is to explore the reasons why Norway chose Guyana as a partner for their REDD initiative - a 'risky' country where it had very little knowledge or traditional presence. How can the marriage of this unlikely couple be explained? By employing Foreign Policy Analysis I demonstrate how international, domestic, and governmental factors all contributed to making the partnership happen. Through this actor-specific framework, I show how diverse stakeholders such as a prince, two “Champion of the Earth” award-winners and a Prime Minister all were important actors in making this partnership materialize.
Although the partnership is being funded by the aid budget, this case shows that climate-policy priorities trumped foreign aid considerations in the decision-making process. The analysis demonstrates how differences in priorities, influence and responsibilities between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Environment became evident in this case. The thesis contributes to an ongoing debate in the field of foreign aid, as to whether spending aid allocations on payments for ecosystem services is a new practice that should be maintained.