President Ali Proposes 'GBA Solution Labs' to Advance Biodiversity Conservation

According to the Guyana Times, President Dr Irfaan Ali put forward several initiatives during the second Global Biodiversity Alliance (GBA) conference in Georgetown, aiming to transform ideas and discussions into tangible outcomes over the following year to protect and conserve global natural resources. The two-day conference, held under the theme of “Investing in Nature: Accelerating Biodiversity Finance for Sustainable Development,” gathered global researchers, policymakers, financial institutions, and other key stakeholders to address the financing gap for nature.

Addressing participants on the second day of the summit, President Ali stated that the GBA should function as a starting point for action rather than merely a platform for discussion. To achieve this, he suggested creating what he termed ‘GBA solution labs’—small groups of experts tasked with addressing specific, difficult problems that separate good concepts from practical implementation. These labs would not be permanent committees focused on broad subjects but would concentrate on solving particular issues, such as making biodiversity credits investable, overcoming hurdles to private sector biodiversity finance, or translating scientific findings into practical conservation programs.

As the Head of State, President Ali indicated that these groups would be responsible for rigorously examining proposals, testing feasibility, pinpointing obstacles, and developing solutions that can be both implemented and financed. By bringing together governments, scientists, investors, businesses, and communities, these labs would aim to find practical and balanced solutions that garner widespread support. Pradeepa Bholanath, the Senior Director of Climate and REDD+ in the Office of the President, was designated to lead a working group tasked with designing the operation of these labs and setting their initial priorities, with this plan needing completion by the end of November.

Reinforcing the conference's focus on biodiversity finance, the President also proposed an investment and financing summit, potentially in London in June 2027, intended to unite international financing bodies and the global private sector to mobilize capital for biodiversity efforts. This proposal builds upon a challenge issued by the Head of State during the opening ceremony on Friday, which called on every biodiversity-rich member country in the Alliance to develop investment-ready projects before the subsequent meeting.

President Ali stated on Saturday that the GBA should collaborate with all members to identify projects that the secretariat can assist in technically developing to present to investors, ensuring that by June, there are ready opportunities to showcase. He mentioned that the GBA would bring together all financial players, including philanthropic organizations, international donor agencies, private sector investors, and the bond market, but stressed that readiness is essential.

To support this, a coordinating team would be established within the GBA Secretariat to work with a minimum of 20 to 30 biodiversity-rich member countries, noting that sufficient technical expertise—including researchers, academia, and technology—exists within the Alliance's nearly 150 members.

Regarding membership growth, when President Ali launched the Alliance in July 2025, it comprised 17 founding members representing governments, financial institutions, indigenous representatives, and other key stakeholders. The membership has since expanded considerably to approximately 149 members. During the opening ceremony on Friday, six new countries received membership certificates: Colombia, Rwanda, Panama, India, France, and the United Kingdom (UK). On Saturday, President Ali announced two additional new members: St Lucia and China.

President Ali remarked that the GBA now includes members representing well over two-thirds of the world's population, encompassing some of the world's smallest nations alongside the two largest by population, India and China.

Furthermore, President Ali outlined plans to utilize advanced technologies to enhance the Alliance's work, suggesting that members like India could play a significant role. He emphasized the necessity of identifying and advancing the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and quantum computing to keep the Alliance's work at the forefront of modern capabilities. The Head of State noted that technology innovators and scientists from both small and large nations, alongside their academic institutions, could generate breakthroughs needed globally, citing India's expertise in geo mapping and geo audit. President Ali concluded that advancing these initiatives over the next 12 months would ensure that promising concepts evolve into actionable proposals.