The British Chamber of Commerce Guyana (BritCham) will provide annual funding over the next three years to support the Iwokrama International Centre’s work under the Global Biodiversity Alliance (GBA), the Centre announced.
The support stems from a cooperation memorandum of understanding signed between the two organisations in 2025.
Iwokrama CEO Dane Gobin said the Centre was grateful for the support, which would help implement its activities under President Ali’s GBA initiative, of which both the Centre and BritCham are members.
He noted it was encouraging to see BritCham’s membership, largely drawn from the oil and gas industry, embrace the importance of Guyana’s green agenda.
“The Centre has long standing links with the UK as it is the home of the Commonwealth Secretariat, one of the Centre’s founding partners and the Centre’s patron, King Charles III,” Gobin said, adding that the Centre remained grateful for the continued support of President Ali and the Government of Guyana.
The partnership is also expected to develop joint initiatives spanning social and biological assessments, education and awareness, livelihoods programmes, research, sustainable forest management and fundraising.
BritCham Guyana Chairman Faizal Khan said economic growth and environmental stewardship had to go hand in hand, adding that Guyana had a unique opportunity to show the world that a rapidly growing economy could also lead in biodiversity conservation.
“Our three-year commitment to support the Iwokrama Centre and its work under the Global Biodiversity Alliance reflects that belief,” Khan said, noting that while the annual contribution was modest for now, he hoped it would serve as a catalyst for greater private-sector collaboration in protecting Guyana’s natural heritage.
He added that the UK had a long and valued relationship with the Iwokrama Centre and that BritCham was proud to strengthen that connection, expressing hope to work alongside the Centre, the Government of Guyana and BritCham’s members on practical initiatives promoting conservation, research, education and sustainable development.
British High Commissioner to Guyana Joseph Fisher, welcomed the strengthening partnership, saying BritCham’s support for the Centre’s GBA work showed how environmental conservation and sustainable economic growth could complement each other.
He noted the UK had joined the GBA earlier this year and had deep, longstanding ties with Iwokrama, including through the Centre’s patron, King Charles III. Fisher wished both organisations success as they continued building the collaboration.
