Guyana has signed a landmark Letter of Intent (LOI) with Silvania, a global natural capital investment platform, to develop innovative approaches to valuing and financing biodiversity.
The agreement was formalised during the Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre in Georgetown. It brings together the Government of Guyana, Indigenous Peoples, biodiversity experts, and private sector partners in a collaborative effort to protect ecosystems and scale up biodiversity conservation.
This latest partnership builds on Guyana’s reputation as a global leader in climate and forest finance. Since the launch of the world’s first Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) in 2009, Guyana has received substantial results-based payments for its forest climate services, including through a pioneering partnership with Norway.
The country also made history as the first to issue jurisdictional REDD+ carbon credits under the ART-TREES standard, which have been purchased by major companies such as Apple, Hess Corporation, and 16 international airlines.
Under President Irfaan Ali’s expanded LCDS 2030, Guyana is moving beyond forest carbon to include the valuation of wider ecosystem services, particularly biodiversity and freshwater resources. The LOI with Silvania marks a significant step in advancing this vision.
Silvania, a US$500 million investment platform launched by Mercuria and its co-founders, invests in nature-based solutions with measurable environmental and social impact. The company operates across Latin America, Africa, Europe, and Asia.
Through the LOI, Guyana and Silvania have committed to working together to develop methodologies for quantifying and valuing biodiversity, building on standards like ART-TREES.
They will also collaborate on the design and piloting of biodiversity-linked financial instruments, share knowledge and best practices through the Global Biodiversity Alliance, and assist other countries—particularly in the Global South—in developing biodiversity finance systems.
A joint working group will be established within 60 days to identify pilot projects and create an implementation roadmap.
Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Kemraj Parsram, stated that the agreement marks a new phase in Guyana’s environmental leadership.
“Guyana has demonstrated that forest countries can lead the way in designing new economic models that reward nature preservation. This partnership with Silvania builds on our forest carbon leadership and marks the next step in our national strategy—properly valuing biodiversity and unlocking the financing needed to protect it,” he said.
Vice President of Conservation International Guyana, Curtis Bernard, described the initiative as setting a global benchmark for ambition and integrity in nature finance. James Cooper, Head of Origination at Silvania, echoed this sentiment, noting that the partnership will help deliver meaningful impact for biodiversity while respecting local knowledge and empowering communities.
The agreement is guided by shared principles, including full respect for national sovereignty, the free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, transparency, and environmental integrity.
