Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh chaired a high-level panel discussion titled “Biodiversity as an Economic Asset: Policy, Fiscal and Institutional Leadership,” as part of today’s Global Biodiversity Alliance Conference and Financing Forum, currently underway at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
The session examined the state of biodiversity finance, spotlighting critical gaps, emerging opportunities, and Guyana’s own experience, to help frame discussions for the remainder of the Conference.
Panelists explored practical pathways for governments, multilateral development banks, the private sector, and international partners to collaborate, scale up investments, and drive meaningful biodiversity outcomes.
The panelists included Hon. Michael Halkitis, Minister of Finance, Commonwealth of the Bahamas; Hon. Marsha Caddle, Minister of Economic Affairs & Planning, Barbados; Ms. Valerie Hickey, Director, Environment, World Bank Group; Mr. Shawn N. Gurcharran, Chief Executive Officer, GBTI; Mr. Carlos Cordova, Director, Relationship Management, Environmental Solutions, Commercial Strategy, S&P Global; and Mr. Oliver Withers, Head, Nature Finance, Standard Chartered – commercial requirements and private-capital mobilization.
