Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to global biodiversity protection, while stressing that the Global Biodiversity Alliance (GBA) must support existing United Nations conservation efforts.
Speaking at the Alliance conference on Friday, Jagdeo said its growth from 17 to 142 members reflects increasing international interest in biodiversity protection, but cautioned against misconceptions about its mandate.
“Many people see the success of the Alliance. It has grown from 17 members to 142, and they think we are building an institution or a body that will rival the UN Convention on Biodiversity and the COP [Conference of Parties],” he stated.
“Our role here has to be interpreted in support of the targets and the decisions of COP,” the Vice President added.
Guyana has positioned forest conservation as a central component of its sustainable development agenda, particularly through its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030, which seeks to generate economic opportunities while maintaining the country’s standing forests.
The country’s approach includes the sale of its forest carbon credits, notably through the US$750 million agreement with Hess Corporation. The revenue from this venture supports sustainable development, Indigenous communities and climate resilience initiatives.
However, Dr. Jagdeo acknowledged that similar financing opportunities have yet to materialise for biodiversity protection.
“First of all, there is no market for biodiversity credit currently. Not a compliance market, not even a major voluntary market. That’s a fact,” he said.
Reflecting on the international mobilisation that preceded the Copenhagen climate negotiations, Jagdeo stressed the importance of rebuilding political momentum around environmental protection.
“We need to recreate that environment, the urgency,” he urged.
The Vice President warned that competing global priorities, including energy prices, food security, the cost of living, regional conflicts and artificial intelligence, have diverted attention from climate and biodiversity initiatives.
Despite Guyana’s rapid economic expansion, Dr. Jagdeo maintained that economic growth and environmental protection must advance together.
“We can pledge to you that we will remain firmly in favor of strong environmental stewardship here and globally,” he affirmed.
