Landmark agreement signed at Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit will develop new models for valuing and financing nature
Georgetown, Guyana – 24 July 2025 –
The Government of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana today signed a landmark Letter of Intent (LOI) with Silvania, a global natural capital investment platform, to pioneer new approaches to valuing and financing biodiversity. The agreement, signed at the Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit in Georgetown, Guyana, brings together government, Indigenous Peoples, biodiversity experts, and the private sector to chart new pathways for ecosystem protection.
The LOI builds on Guyana’s leadership in climate and forest finance, including its groundbreaking Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and innovative forest carbon partnerships. Under President Irfaan Ali’s expanded LCDS 2030, Guyana aims to go beyond forest carbon to recognise and value ecosystem services—especially biodiversity and freshwater services.
Silvania, a $500 million nature and biodiversity investment platform launched by Mercuria and its co-founders, combines private capital, technical expertise, and partnerships to invest in nature-based solutions. Through the LOI, Guyana and Silvania will collaborate on methodologies to quantify and value biodiversity, design biodiversity-linked finance instruments, and share knowledge globally through the Global Biodiversity Alliance.
“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,”
said Mr. Kemraj Parsram, Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency.
“Guyana is setting a global benchmark for ambition and integrity in nature finance. We are honoured to partner with the EPA to build scalable, inclusive solutions that respect local knowledge, empower communities, and deliver meaningful impact for biodiversity,”
said James Cooper, Head of Origination, EMEA for Silvania.
According to Curtis Bernard, Vice President of Conservation International Guyana,
“At Conservation International, we’ve worked with Guyana for over 30 years to help align economic development with the protection of nature. We’re proud to support this new partnership between Guyana and Silvania. Guyana’s biodiversity and the country’s bold actions to demonstrate a new model of development are globally important. Partnerships like this one, which are rooted in science, local knowledge, and shared ambition, are how we protect nature at scale.”
The agreement is grounded in 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.
Also at the Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit, Silvania was proud to join 15 global leaders and experts as the first private sector signatory of the historic Georgetown Declaration, reaffirming its commitment to advancing scalable, inclusive solutions for biodiversity protection and sustainable development.
The Georgetown Declaration, which seeks to protect 30 per cent of the planet’s lands and oceans by 2030, was also signed by luminaries including President Irfaan Ali of Guyana, Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, and Dr M. Sanjayan of Conservation International, alongside Indigenous leaders and biodiversity champions.
Silvania’s Head of Origination, James Cooper, represented the company in this united vision to tackle biodiversity loss and said,
“We are honoured to stand alongside global leaders, Indigenous Peoples, and biodiversity experts as the first private sector signatory of the Georgetown Declaration. This milestone reflects our commitment to protecting nature and its vital services for future generations.”
This dual milestone underscores Silvania’s leadership in nature finance and its dedication to forging impactful partnerships that deliver measurable environmental and social outcomes.
