Global Biodiversity Alliance conference in Guyana

The Global Biodiversity Alliance (GBA) convened its second conference in Georgetown, Guyana, to move from conservation pledges toward concrete financial commitments. The event, themed “Investing in Nature: Accelerating Biodiversity Finance for Sustainable Development,” included over 140 members from governments, the United Nations, and the private sector.

During the conference, four charitable organizations, including the Rainforest Trust, the Bezos Earth Fund, Andy’s Amazon Fund, and Nia Tero, pledged a collective US$12.5 million to support Guyana’s goal of conserving 30 per cent of its land and waters by 2030. This funding is intended to protect the Akarai-Rupununi Corridor, also referred to as the Acarai-Corentyne Corridor, from mining and other activities by developing protected areas and Indigenous territories.

Guyanese officials urged the integration of biodiversity conservation into national economic planning. Senior Minister Dr. Ashni Singh emphasized that biodiversity must be a central focus of economic decisions rather than being treated solely as an environmental responsibility. He further urged the international community to value and pay for biodiversity more rapidly than the decades-long process required for forest carbon markets.

Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo highlighted a US$700 billion gap in public funding and the lack of a standardized market for biodiversity credits. Discussions also focused on utilizing models like Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) to combine public, philanthropic, and market financing to sustain protected areas over the long term.