Guyana’s biodiversity advocacy advances ‘30 by 30’ goal

The government is promoting a global conservation movement, with a discussion on the 30 x 30 initiative as part of the Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit, which concluded at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Thursday.

The 30 x 30 initiative is a global commitment by governments to protect 30 per cent of the world’s land and oceans by 2030 to help prevent biodiversity loss and climate change. 

‘Guyana’s cultural heritage is not only rich, but vital,’ according to Damian Fernandes, board member of the Protected Areas Commission. Pointing out that Guyana continues to surpass global standards, the conservationist said that “Guyana is not a real place. It is beyond real; It is magical.”  

Fernandes’ contribution to the panel included a combination of stories, science and references to history. He provided a vivid illustration of Guyana’s geographical landscape, pointing out that the country’s shoreline is healing.

He said that Guyana’s landscape tells a story of the past, present, and future, describing places where “umbilical cords are buried,” connecting generations to the land.

Chairing the panel was former Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez, who praised Guyana’s leadership.

“In times where many leaders are taking a step back in order to be more complacent, thanks to the leadership of President Ali, Guyana is doubling down,” the former Colombian leader said. 

US Senator Russ Feingold, an honorary ambassador of Campaign for Nature (CfN), urged Guyana to officially join the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, which is a global alliance of over 120 nations that helped to deliver the 30 by 30 initiative at COP15. 

“For this group to work, we need to continue to have active members at high levels and to work collaboratively with other world leaders to ensure that 30 by 30 is the priority…and yes, Guyana should be part of this,” Senator Feingold expressed. 

During the discussion, experts emphasised that progress can be achieved with technical and financial assistance, along with increasing local capacity and carbon accounting. This was noted by Oxford Professor Karthik Ramanna.

“At the very least, we need to create pro-market incentives to effectively not destroy this tremendous resource we have, but more importantly, to be able to profit from the sort of ongoing preservation of our tremendous natural heritage,” Professor Ramanna stated. 

The Oxford professor was also economically practical in his explanation about why accounting, markets and incentives matter. 

“You can not solve a problem as complex as climate change or as complex as sustaining biodiversity by hoping all the people around the world will do the right thing, all the time. No problem in history can be solved or has ever been solved through that logic because it is just not the way we are wired as human beings to work,” he said.

The panel concluded with a shared message, emphasising that protecting nature must be local, political and economic, but most of all, human.