Mr. Linkham Douangsavanh, Minister of Agriculture and Environment

The high-level meeting on Nature-Positive Investment through the Biodiversity Mitigation Hierarchy towards No Net Loss / Net Gain Outcome–chaired by Mr. Linkham Douangsavanh, Minister of Agriculture and Environment, with technical and financial collaboration from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in the Lao PDR under the United Kingdom-FCDO Forest Governance, Market and Climate Program and the Asian Development Bank (ADB)–brought together key government agencies and stakeholders including development partners, private sector, environmental service providers, and technical organizations from the national and international conservation community.
In opening remarks, Mr. Douangsavanh highlighted the challenge of balancing economic growth with environmental protection, noting potentially lasting impacts on biodiversity and rural communities without proper tools and mechanisms. The Minister also reaffirmed the Lao PDR Government’s commitment, under its Green Growth strategy, to adopt international best practices and strengthen national legislation to guide sustainable development.
Under the government’s policy direction for green economic growth, the key initiative is  investment and development projects to achieve biodiversity no net loss and, where feasible, net gain outcomes through mitigation hierarchy. Operationalizing the policy requires a decree to guide implementation. 
“Achieving biodiversity ‘no net loss’ is not a constraint, but an opportunity to strengthen investor confidence, enhance development outcomes, and position Lao PDR as a regional leader in nature-positive investment”, said Ms. Shanny Campbell, ADB Country Director for the Lao PDR “ADB remains committed to supporting the Lao PDR Government in translating policy ambition into practical solutions, in close collaboration with development partners and stakeholders, to strengthen the country’s resilience and unlock inclusive and sustainable growth. In addition, it’s important to not only look to doing better in the future but also to address the current challenges in the existing no net loss programs”
The development of a national biodiversity offset framework presents a key opportunity to de-risk projects by aggregating offset obligations, targeting priority landscapes, and delivering measurable biodiversity gains through specialized implementation. This approach is supported by robust monitoring and adaptive management and reaffirmed its commitment to support these efforts under the Government’s leadership. 
 “The United Kingdom is proud to work closely with the Government of Lao PDR and partners to support biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. By promoting nature-positive investment, we aim to safeguard vital ecosystems and strengthen resilience. We encourage continued collaboration and shared commitment to conserving Laos’ rich biodiversity for future generations” Mr. Louis Mulvaney, Mekong Development Counsellor, British Embassy to Lao PDR reaffirmed their support.