‘Exciting opportunities ahead of us’ – President Ali says, as Guyana advances climate, biodiversity leadership

“Exciting opportunities” lie ahead for Guyana, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali said, as he summed up the first official day of his visit to the United Kingdom (UK) via a video released on his official social media page.

Addressing the nation on Wednesday morning, President Ali said the engagements on his first day were undertaken in the interest of the Guyanese people, with the nation’s leadership in biodiversity and ecosystem services at the centre of discussions.

A major highlight of the day was a meeting with His Majesty King Charles III, who president Ali said, “is not only an onlooker in what we are doing, but he is an active participant and a promoter of the work Guyana is doing in terms of climate, environment, forestry and now biodiversity.“

The president stated that the meeting was productive and praised Guyana for its leadership and progress in forestry, biodiversity, and climate resilience. He also mentioned that His Majesty has renewed his support for Guyana in these areas.

He informed the nation that discussions also focused on identifying shared priorities and exploring ways to advance innovative financing mechanisms for biodiversity.

Particular attention was given to developing a market-based biodiversity model, supported by sustainable financing

“As you know, biodiversity is integrally related to pharmaceuticals, indigenous culture, rights, language,” the president said, noting that by recognising these interconnections, Guyana aims to establish itself as a focal point for global discussions and action on biodiversity.

The president and members of his delegation, which includes the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand, and Shyam Nokta, the Presidential Adviser (Climate Change and Biodiversity), held discussions with the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey.

President Ali emphasised that these discussions demonstrate a robust alignment between Guyana’s initiatives and the Commonwealth’s priorities.

Guyana is determined to establish a Commonwealth Centre of Excellence on Biodiversity, which President Ali said will be done in collaboration with the Commonwealth.

This centre will be “integrated with other centres around the world. And this is important in a world where we have already lost 60 per cent of our biodiversity …so, there are some exciting announcements, some exciting programmes, and exciting opportunities ahead of us,” the president said.

All these efforts are part of a plan to create a strong, sustainable, and diversified economy. Guyana is not only focusing on traditional sectors but also investing in new areas like environmental, ecological, biodiversity, forest, and climate services.

He noted that, much like artificial intelligence and digitalisation, these sectors will play a defining role in the global economy of the future.

“We are positioning Guyana ahead of that time, future-proofing our economy for our people, for sustainability and resilience, but more importantly, for the world…one in which sustainability and resilience are part of our everyday life,” President Ali said.

Outgoing British High Commissioner to Guyana Jane Miller announced that the UK has officially joined the Global Biodiversity Alliance (GBA), an international initiative spearheaded by President Ali to accelerate global action against biodiversity loss.

The GBA was launched in July 2025 at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) in Georgetown.