THE CARIBBEAN – Decision-makers from the world’s islands alongside expert stakeholders from civil society, academia, and the private sector have highlighted the outsized impact that island communities have in global sustainable development goals throughout the weeklong 2024 Virtual Island Summit (VIS); which discussed key topics for island communities including sustainable tourism, the blue economy, climate adaptation, and financing.
The summit was sponsored by clean transportation non-profit CALSTART, conservation finance organization the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund, education policy institution the Edge Foundation, ocean thermal energy conversion consortium PLOTEC, and the Cayman Islands Government.
The need for knowledge-sharing and capacity-building between island stakeholders was highlighted by president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo Batlle, in his keynote address at the VIS:
“We need forums like this one to share successful experiences and for islands together to move forward,” he noted: “Forums like this are essential, they are necessary. We must share our problems and our solutions, our successful projects because of course, as you well know, islands are never given anything for free – we have to achieve through our effort.”
Promoting opportunities for island stakeholders to work together was a major theme throughout the VIS. Ahead of major international conferences including the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and the UN’s climate summit (COP29), the VIS2024 provided an important opportunity for island stakeholders to build on the progress made at the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) held in Antigua & Barbuda in May, which set the next decade of policy goals for SIDS.
“For any successful implementation of a ten-year framework, it has to have a strong political buy-in and strong political push behind it. For Antigua and Barbuda, we want to ensure, especially with the upcoming UNGA, that there is a sense of strong political support [of the ABAS document] continuing from SIDS,” expressed Tumasie Blair, deputy permanent representative of Antigua and Barbuda at the UN, during a session focused on SIDS4.
“Of course, with any implementation it has to have the finance behind it – not just in terms of monetary, but also capacity-building and technical support that will ensure that we are successful in the implementation of this ten-year framework.”
“Island nations and communities are on the frontlines of the climate crisis. The challenges you face, from rising sea levels to extreme weather, underscore the urgent need for global action,” said Elnur Soltanov, CEO of COP29 and deputy energy minister of Azerbaijan.
“I encourage island representatives, including governments, business leaders, and civil society, to join us in Baku to advocate for more inclusive policies that reflect the unique vulnerabilities of your communities. With the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance and Article 6 at the heart of negotiations this November, and with a significant focus on island nations, this is a critical moment to ensure your voices are heard. We must advance solutions not only through the Loss and Damage Fund but also in adaptation and mitigation efforts to protect island communities from the impacts of climate change.”
COP29 in Baku will be another major moment for concerted climate action. Islanders and other climate-vulnerable communities will be vocal in the need for a rapid transition away from fossil fuels as well as more adequate financing mechanisms for climate adaptation, mitigation, and loss and damage. It is key that the voices of these communities are heard. Island Innovation will be present on the ground alongside other island stakeholders and the Caribbean Climate Justice Leaders Academy, a regional capacity-building program that creates and promotes meaningful roles for Caribbean youth in climate action.
During the opening ceremony, and on behalf of St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew, Island Innovation chief executive officer James Ellsmoor announced that the next Global Sustainable Island Summit (GSIS) will be held in St Kitts and Nevis in May 2025.
A premier event dedicated to advancing sustainable development on islands around the world, the 2025 edition of the GSIS, which will be co-hosted by the government of St Kitts and Nevis, will focus on Water Sustainability & Energy Nexus, Agricultural Resilience & Climate Adaptation, Climate-Health Interactions and Geothermal Energy.
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