UK praises Guyana’s biodiversity efforts

Guyana’s outstanding record in biodiversity conservation has earned high praise from United Kingdom’s (UK) Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, David Lammy.

Speaking on the latest episode of United For Biodiversity: The Alliance Podcast, Lammy described Guyana as a vital biodiversity hotspot, lauding its rich ecological assets and leadership potential.

Lammy’s endorsement underscores growing international recognition of Guyana’s role in shaping global strategies to protect the planet’s natural heritage.

He said Guyana is uniquely positioned to guide the upcoming Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit, given its extensive experience and commitment to environmental stewardship, as he shared how the UK is assisting countries like Guyana, while also leading by example.

“I think it’s wonderful that Guyana is hosting this very important global coalition, and the alliance coming together. Guyana is a country that has done remarkably well to protect its rainforests. It’s a country with 80 per cent coverage of rainforests. People forget the huge importance that Guyana plays in the Guyana shield to the Amazon Basin,” Lammy said.

“I’m very pleased that the UK continues to support countries like Guyana in their endeavours. We are absolutely committed to 30 by 30. It’s essential that we get there. We also use our ICF and our climate finance… to contribute to supporting countries in their efforts,” he noted.

Lammy added that the foreign office continues to support development which is beneficial to nature and global harmony, which is why it utilises its leverage on development banks such as the World Bank, as well as its development climate finances to support countries like Guyana.

“I’m delighted that Guyana has maintained its forests, also with the oil find in Guyana there is a danger that development also does drive down communities to cut down trees. It is important that we continue to support people’s livelihoods,” he noted.

An ardent advocate for global action to address the world’s biodiversity loss, Lammy re-emphasised that the climate and nature crisis is central to foreign policy, as he shared how the foreign office is ensuring that action to address this issue is integrated into international work.

“We’re living in times where people are using climate to drive conflict, energy crisis, and so it has to be centred in a way where particularly governments in the global north seek to act–and we are absolutely doing that,” he said.

Lammy stated that new initiatives such as the UK-led Global Clean Power Alliance play an important role in the fight to protect biodiversity by assisting countries in accelerating the race to clean energy.

Guyana’s Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit is billed for July 23 to 25 at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre in Georgetown.

It is a landmark international gathering of leaders, scientists, indigenous voices, and innovators, who will convene to advance global efforts aimed at biodiversity protection.