World leaders hail President Ali’s visionary leadership on biodiversity preservation

…actor Idris Elba, inspired by Guyana’s environmental stewardship, hopes to visit soon

World leaders have lauded President Irfaan Ali’s visionary leadership on biodiversity preservation and his ability to bring together international partners to launch the Global Biodiversity Alliance.
The inaugural summit of this alliance got underway in Georgetown on Wednesday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
United Kingdom Foreign Secretary David Lammy delivered a virtual address to the gathering, noting that biodiversity loss is as much a threat as climate change and issued a call for stronger political will and more financing to tackle this growing issue.
Lammy noted that the “impact of lost biodiverse hotspots is felt from Georgetown to London in the food we eat and the air we breathe.” He noted that means exist to stop and even reverse levels of biodiversity loss, but this requires stronger political will and more financing.
“Mobilising more finance with innovations like green bonds and biodiversity credits, strengthening education and research to identify and promote nature-based solutions, and above all, empowering local and indigenous communities, the best custodians of nature there are,” he emphasised.
Lammy noted that the British Government has done a lot of work in these areas and is a top contributor to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, which was established in response to decisions from the Convention on Biological Diversity COP15.
The fund was ratified by 186 countries and launched at the Seventh GEF Assembly in Vancouver, Canada, in August 2023.
As of June 2025, a total of $386 million has been pledged to the GBFF by 12 sovereign and subnational contributors: Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Province of Québec, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
According to the UK foreign secretary, “We’re working with the city to get more sustainable finance to developing economies.”
He further emphasised that the UK continues to back innovative research on nature through initiatives like the £24 million Natural Environment Research Council programme launched this year to support ambitious environmental projects.
“This work matters, but it can only succeed with sufficient political will,” Lammy emphasised as he congratulated President Irfaan Ali for launching the Global Biodiversity Alliance.
“…and bringing together such a powerful group of advocates for nature in Guyana… as you know, I cherish my Guyanese heritage,” Lammy said.
Lammy and his wife, Nicola Green, have founded the Sophia Point Rainforest Research Centre in Guyana, located at River’s View in Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice). It was officially commissioned in November 2024 by President Ali. The centre serves as a hub for research, education, and training aimed at empowering stakeholders in the global fight against climate change.
“My work at Sophia Point is just one way I try to give back to the country of my ancestors, but the incredible biodiversity found there is not my inheritance or even the local communities or Guyana’s. It is a gift from past generations to all of humanity – a gift all of us have a duty to preserve so that we too may pass it on to the next generation,” Lammy said.
Mexico, India
Also lauding President Ali’s visionary leadership was Mexico’s Under Secretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights, Enrique Ochoa Martínez, who expressed deep gratitude to the Guyana Government for convening the “significant gathering of the international community” with the aim of joining efforts to protect biodiversity.
He noted that as one of the world’s mega-biodiverse nations, Mexico recognises the urgent need to consolidate international efforts aimed at conserving and restoring nature.
“This is essential to ensuring ecological resilience and the wellbeing of current and future generations,” Martínez said as he welcomed the establishment of the alliance.
He further acknowledged its potential to serve as a strategic platform for mobilising global commitments and scaling up action on biodiversity protection as well as to advocate for innovative financing mechanisms such as green bonds and biodiversity credits, which can significantly enhance long-term conservation efforts.
In this regard, Martínez emphasised that “the protection of biodiversity demands not only political will but innovative, predictable and equitable financial solutions”.
Similar sentiments were expressed by India’s Vice Minister within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shri Kumaran, who described the alliance as a “timely initiative” which calls on the global community to take concerted action for the preservation and promotion of biodiversity.
“After all, we have only one earth, and we need to preserve it for our future generations,” the Indian Vice Minister said.
In this regard, he expressed appreciation for the biodiversity management efforts made by Guyana and commended the country’s record in the field of environmentalism while pursuing a path of rapid growth.
He indicated that Guyana has proven that the two are not mutually exclusive.

Inspired
Meanwhile, world-renowned actor and humanitarian Idris Elba said he is inspired by Guyana’s environmental stewardship and hopes to visit in the near future to witness first-hand how the country contributes to the protection of the environment while simultaneously pursuing a path of economic development.
Elba delivered the written message on behalf of his organisation called the Akuna Group to the inaugural Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit; it was read out to the gathering of world leaders by Guyanese climate economist Pradeepa Bholanath.
“I have long wished to visit Guyana. Many of my dearest friends growing up were the sons and daughters of Guyanese families, and I grew up listening to vivid stories of your magnificent forests, your powerful rivers, and the deep resilience and warmth of your people,” Elba said.
In thanking President Irfaan Ali for his visionary leadership on the global stage, Elba expressed that “your message resonates far beyond these borders.”
“Biodiversity must not be sacrificed in the name of development. It is, in fact, the very foundation upon which we must build a more equitable, more prosperous and a more sustainable future. Guyana is providing that environmental stewardship and economic progress, and they are not mutually exclusive. You are living proof that it is possible to protect the planet while uplifting communities,” Elba added.
The philanthropist said as someone committed to the same ideas, he is “deeply inspired” by the examples being set by Guyana and looks forward to visiting “in the near future”.
The Akuna Group, founded by Elba, is dedicated to nurturing the growth of African industries and entrepreneurship through strategic multi-sectoral partnerships, impact investments, innovative technologies, and high-level advisory services across and beyond the continent.