GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Oct 29, CMC – Guyana’s private sector is planning to establish a fund to support forest conservation, with businesses of all sizes expected to contribute, according to Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) president Kathy Smith.
Smith said business support organisations, including the GCCI and the Private Sector Commission (PSC), recognise that protecting the country’s forests requires contributions that are not necessarily tied to financial returns.
She made the disclosure on Wednesday during the Starting Point podcast, ahead of the Second Global Biodiversity Alliance Conference and Financing Forum, scheduled for October 30–31 at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
Smith said the proposed fund would encourage businesses to make small, affordable contributions, allowing more companies to participate while reducing the risk of donor fatigue.
Tour operators offering trips to Kaieteur Falls and other destinations, for example, could contribute one dollar per trip, while companies selling bottled water and juice could set aside four or five cents from each bottle sold.
“In maintaining our forests, we also have to ensure we come out of pocket. It cannot just be reinvestment with returns. We have to give with no returns,” Smith said.
She said the initiative would seek to involve micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), adding that the fund could support government initiatives when needed.
“If we can get thousands of businesses to contribute, the private sector can be doing its corporate social responsibility,” she said.
Smith also called on commercial banks and other financial institutions to provide credit for MSMEs seeking to adopt environmentally friendly practices.
She noted that some larger businesses had already invested in solar energy and improved waste management, but smaller firms needed access to financing to make similar changes.
Reflecting on the inaugural Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit in July 2025, Smith said the discussions had influenced how the business community viewed Guyana’s natural resources.
She identified ecotourism initiatives involving indigenous communities, hydroponic farming, solar energy, green bonds and environmental consulting as potential investment opportunities.
Smith also suggested that the private sector could play an intermediary role in the carbon credit market by purchasing credits from the Government and marketing them to international buyers.
She said biodiversity offered opportunities for economic activity beyond the oil and gas sector, particularly for indigenous communities whose knowledge of the forests could contribute to sustainable development.
CMC/ed/2026