King Charles praises Guyana’s forest protection efforts

King Charles III praised Guyana’s efforts to protect its forests during a visit to the country, emphasizing the importance of valuing nature. He met with President Irfaan Ali in Georgetown, where he acknowledged the challenges of assigning monetary value to natural resources.

Charles criticized ongoing deforestation, stating it threatens the future of both people and the environment. He argued that nature itself offers the best solutions to global challenges, though he acknowledged the difficulty of translating this into action.

Guyana, which has 18 million hectares of forest, has earned $353 million from carbon credit sales in recent years. In November 2022, it became the first country to issue such credits under a global standard aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The country’s government has pledged to allocate 30% of proceeds from carbon credits to development projects for Indigenous Amerindian communities. Hess Corporation, a U.S.-owned company involved in Guyana’s offshore oil sector, has committed to purchasing $750 million in carbon credits over the next decade.

During his visit, Charles also met with Indigenous leaders known as toshaos and veterans of the British Guiana defense forces. He visited Independence Park, where enslaved people were executed in the 1800s following a major slave revolt.

Some Caribbean leaders have called on Britain to apologize and provide reparations for slavery, a demand the British government has consistently rejected.