Pakoa Kaltonga, also known as Bakoa Kaltongga, is a ni-Vanuatu politician. He is a member of the Leaders Party of Vanuatu.The Hon Minister was elected to the Parliament of Vanuatu for Efate Constituency in 2011 and re-elected in 2020. He was educated at Nelson College and Massey University, New Zealand.

H.E. Ambassador Georges Maniuri has a significant and highly accomplished career as an experienced public official, having served at the highest level of Vanuatu’s civil service for 17 years. He has been Director General of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management of the Republic of Vanuatu since 2008, holding the same position at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation from 2005-2008 and also at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism from 1998 to 2005.

Mr. Maniuri has played central roles in important developments for the country, including the revival of Vanuatu’s foreign services and the establishment of diplomatic missions in strategic locations around the world. Mr. Maniuri has also played prominent roles in the negotiations for the accession of Vanuatu to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and for the Pacific Island Trade Countries Trade Agreement (PICTA) and ACP-EU Economic Partnership Agreements.

Sir Ronald Michael Sanders is an Antiguan Barbudan diplomat, academic former broadcast-journalist, and the current Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States and to the Organization of American States since 2015. He is also the non-resident High Commissioner to Canada since 2017. He served twice as Antigua’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (1983–1987, 1996–2004) as well as ambassador and negotiator to the World Trade Organization (WTO) (1997–2004).

He was a member and Rapporteur of the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group (2010–2011 ]whose seminal report entitled, A Commonwealth of the People: Time for Urgent Reform, laid out a plan of action to make the Commonwealth effective and relevant.

He is a senior research fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London, and is a speaker at conventions and conferences on global financial services issues and on Caribbean states in the political-economy of the Americas and the Commonwealth.

Hon. Dr. Godffrey Nyongesa Nato is the current County Executive Committee Member for Environment, Waste Management and Energy, a position he has held since November 2017. He is also the Ag. CECM for Health Services, in the County Government of Mombasa. He is accredited for spearheading the development and adoption of the Mombasa County Climate Change Policy, the Mombasa County Solid Waste Management Act 2021, among other legislative documents.

Dr. Nato has a demonstrated history of working in Higher Education Management. He previously served as the Chairman, Department of Social sciences and Dean for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Technical University of Mombasa. He is a Researcher in the field of Social Ecology and has several publications attributed to him.

He is currently a Co-investigator with Mijibora, a 3-year research project funded by WIOMSA whose objective is to transition Mombasa into a smart and sustainable city in the context of climate change. Dr. Nato holds a master degree in Human Ecology and a PhD in Sociology of Rural Development.

Premier of the Cayman Islands, Hon. G. Wayne Panton, JP, MP, served in Parliament as a Member for Bodden Town, and as a Cabinet Minister from 2013-2017. Following his re-election as Member of Parliament for Newlands in April 2021, Mr. Panton was sworn in as Premier on Wednesday, 21 April 2021.

Mr. Panton was born in the Cayman Islands and grew up in Newlands, Grand Cayman. He attended Cayman Prep School and subsequently what was then called the Cayman Islands High School. Following graduation from sixth form he attended the Cayman Islands Law School and joined the firm of WS Walker & Co (now called Walkers) as an articled clerk. After qualifying in 1988, he joined Walkers as a corporate and trust associate. Mr. Panton became a partner in Walkers in January 1997. During a period of very significant growth he had been a member of the firm’s three member Management Committee, the Deputy Managing Partner, Managing Partner of the firm’s international structured and asset finance practice and Chairman of the Walkers group until his retirement in June 2011.

He has been active in a number of professional, civic organisations, district and community organisations and statutory authorities. He was President of the Caymanian Bar Association, Chairman of the Port Authority of the Cayman Islands, Vice Chairman of the National Trust for the Cayman Islands and a member of the Government Shipping Sector Consultative Committee.

Mr. Panton grew up on the water, so loves the sea and has logged many miles of open ocean fishing and travelling. His love for the outdoors is also reflected in such diverse interests as diving and flying. He resides in Newlands with his wife, Jane.

Kiesha is an experienced organisational and project management professional with over 19 years of experience, focused on innovation for growth across a variety of sustainable development sectors. She has worked across 28 countries with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the former Department of Foreign Affairs and Development (DFAT-D) of the Government of Canada and the former Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). Her work has traversed several thematic areas including climate change, eco-agritourism, regenerative agriculture, active labour market stimulation, as well as, education and leadership development for the public and private sector.

She also gained extensive experience in program management and organizational leadership for NGOs during her tenure at the National Centre for Persons with Disabilities in Trinidad & Tobago. A firm believer in volunteerism, she continues to commit her time and expertise to various NGOs.

In her role as Managing Director, at the Walkers Institute for Regenerative Research, Education and Design (WIRRED) Kiesha focused her efforts on the establishment of a not-for-profit think tank, research centre and consultancy dedicated to climate change and regenerative agroforestry practices. The organization is committed to the implementation of climate-smart strategies which demonstrate that ecosystem-based mitigation and adaptation offer tremendous opportunities in achieving climate resilience. She continues to serve on the Board of Directors of WIRRED, working with a talented team to offer nature base solutions geared towards building habitat, increasing biodiversity and sequestering carbon, while reconnecting people to nature through eco-agritourism and educational experiences.

Currently, Kiesha is the Director of Public Sector Projects with Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator (CCSA) where she continues to work to catalyse a multi-sector network that includes the private sector, public sector, academia, various industry sectors & economies and the community across the region and internationally.

Kiesha holds a M.Sc. in Project Management, with a specialization in the Economics of Oil and Gas (& Renewable Energy) from the University of Liverpool, a BSc. in Psychology with a minor in Sociology & Management, from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and has trained as an Executive Coach with Erickson Coaching International.

Bianca Peters is a serial entrepreneur and founding partner of amongst others 360º of Innovation, Island Impact and WOW! She has a deep passion for creating sustainable opportunities for islands and has vast experience in guiding high-level organizations towards more resiliency. She worked in both the public and private sector for many islands across the world and is on the steering committee of Local 2030 Islands Network, focussing on implementing the Sustainable Development Goals on islands worldwide.

For six years she was the senior advisor to the Prime Minister of Aruba on innovation and sustainable development. Together with her professional and multidisciplinary team, she now guides governments and companies on islands to make their organizations ‘future-proof’.

Bianca has a background in Strategic Management, Occupational Psychology and Facility Management. This enables her to oversee the consequences of big choices towards sustainable development and to further comprehend how people can transition to a sustainable life style and put ideas into action. Her whole life she has traveled to many corners of the world to learn and understand more about cultures, people, nature, indigenous wisdom, value creation and sustainable development.

Her motto?
Dream, Dare, Do, Share!

Mrs. Hélène Morin has a solid experience in management and coordination of collaborative European projects and she is specialized in technical and financial management of those consortium oriented towards innovation and cluster development. As representative of the ICE project coordinator and together with her team, she is first supporting demonstration pilotes, making sure it is in line with business expectation actions and, second, overlooking all communication activities around the project.

Matthew A. McMillan is an accomplished international political & public affairs consultant that has worked in 30 regions, countries and territories around the world. He has won dozens of political consulting awards, has organized large-scale events and has advised Heads of State, Opposition Leaders, Governors, major political parties and well known corporate brands around the world. In the Caribbean, Mr. McMillan has worked on high profile political, corporate and public affairs campaigns in Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago and the Turks & Caicos Islands. Mr. McMillan holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Columbia University. He is based in Washington, DC.

Halfdan Abrahamsen is the information manager at Ærø EnergyLab. Ærø EnergyLab develops and manages renewable energy projects on the island of Ærø, Denmark. Abrahamsen holds a Master’s degree in English and Media and has previously been employed in the Danish state, in the educational sector. However, his deep interest in environmental matters and environmental policy and philosophy led him to Ærø, where he enjoys the opportunity to mediate new environmental technologies and policies.

Karen has over 20 years of experience in the Jamaican and Caribbean environmental field which have given her vast experience in both Public Sector Policy Development as well as civil society dialogue and participation. She is a founding member of the Jamaica Institute of Environmental Professionals and has proudly served on the Board of Directors of the Natural History Society of Jamaica, Campion College Alumni Association and Jamaicans for Justice. Her professional work has focussed on community environmental management throughout the region including as the Chief Executive Officer of Jamaica’s largest NGO grant-making institution. She was the Conservation Finance Program Manager for the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund where she played a critical role in the coordination and technical support to the National Conservation Trust Funds. As the Funds and the Conservation Finance Program grows, this included support for Governance, Sustainable Finance Mechanisms, and Effective Grantmaking. She is now the Chief Executive Officer for the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund where she oversees operations and development of new initiatives.

Sébastien is a founding partner at EDENWAY and he is involved in the development of the projects. He has more than 20 years of experience in consulting at both strategic and operational levels. He has worked as a General Business Manager or Business Development Manager for companies in France, Benelux, and Spain, always achieving growth and profitability challenges. He launched the activities of the Altran group in Luxembourg and led the transformation process of the same group companies in Catalonia. During the development of the different missions, Sebastien has set up multidisciplinary teams and has succeeded in aligning the development of people with the company’s goals. In the last ten years, Sebastien has accompanied several companies and entrepreneurs in their processes of launch, consolidation and growth of their business, plus he has launched and coordinated large-scale R&D projects, federating both public and private players. He is truly convinced of the possibility of developing businesses assuring the well-being of people and a better future for our planet. Sébastien graduated from the Reims Management School where he received a MA in Management. He is fluent in French, Spanish, English, and German.

Dr. Angus Friday leads the Waitt Institute’s work in helping nations design sustainable blue economies to support long-term ocean and community health and wellbeing. He is an accomplished blue economy leader and practitioner, having served as the World Bank’s Ocean Representative and having worked with the Dutch Government and FAO in establishing the Global Blue Growth Network. Dr. Friday also played a leading role in developing the Blue Grenada Program which included the development of a Blue Growth Master Plan and the establishment of the Blue Innovation Institute; all of which contributed to the World Bank’s “First Fiscal Resilience and Blue Growth Development Policy Credit” with $30 million in concessional financing for Grenada under IDA-18. As a diplomat, he served as Grenada’s Ambassador to the United States, Mexico and Canada and also as Grenada’s Ambassador to the United Nations. A qualified medical doctor with an MBA, Dr. Friday brings a wide perspective on the interconnected nature of business, health, and international economic policy.

Gwendal Vonk is Project Manager at the SDEF (association of municipalities of Finistère department), in charge of the ICE Project and its applications on Ushant Island, such as the deployment of the different technical bricks developed during the ICE project. Gwendal completed a Ph.D in chemical engineering in University of Rennes I (2018), and an engineering diploma in chemical engineering at the ENSIC School in Nancy (2015).

Martyn Forde is as energy and knowledge management consultant with over 10 years of experience working in energy and climate change in the Caribbean. Mr. Forde assists clients with project management and the development of energy leadership and capacity strengthening activities. He is the Community Leader of the CARILEC Renewable Energy Community (CAREC) at the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC). CAREC is a utility-led CoP designed for the 1300+ members to share energy resilience, and disaster recovery best-practices for utilities in Caribbean jurisdictions. Learning activities and tools produced include webinars, virtual working groups, online forums, technical reports, a repository of procurement templates, technology workshops, and annual conferences. Mr. Forde is also the host and organizer of the CAREC Resilient Power 2020 series launched in May. The series is aimed to demonstrate leadership of Caribbean utility professionals during covid19, disaster management and how jurisdictions are driving their transition to low carbon infrastructure. He leads knowledge management and the design of Communities of Practice (CoP) for the Empowering Clean Economies program at the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). Forde holds a Master’s in Geography and Environmental studies from the University of Toronto, with a research focus on Climate Change, Carbon-Free Technology, Environmental Resource Management and Sustainable Tourism Planning. In particular, his research explored how to create renewable energy transitions for the hotel industry of Barbados and other island nations.

Olly Newton spent 12 years in the Department for Education working on policies including 14-19 diplomas, raising the participation age and finally as Head of Apprenticeship Strategy. Olly is now Executive Director of the Edge Foundation, where he oversees a programme of primary research, is lead author on all of the charity’s policy reports and runs the Edge Future Learning delivery programme for schools and colleges. At Edge, Olly founded the Island Education Network to support and connect islands around the UK and overseas with their education work. In his spare time, Olly volunteers with the Scout Association, is Enterprise Adviser for Firth Park Academy and supports community theatre in Sheffield.

Professor Gobin is Head of the Department of Life Sciences, in the Faculty of Science and Technology, at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus. She is a Marine Biologist with more than 40 years experience in the field. Her significant academic contributions to the knowledge of Marine Biodiversity in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean include- publications on new marine scientific records and new marine species. She has worked in shallow, soft-sediment benthic environments, rocky shore areas and the deep sea environment. As a SIDS scientist, she has been participating in the on-going UN negotiations for a Legally Binding Instrument on Areas (or Biodiversity) beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ or BBNJ). Prof. Gobin continues to inspire young scientists and especially young girls and women.

Bethany Walsh is currently managing the Climate Change Message in a Bottle project at the Strathclyde Centre for Environmental Law and Governance. Hailing from the Isle of Arran on the west coast of Scotland, and having recently graduated from the University of Edinburgh in Sustainable Development and Geography, this project draws together her ‘islandness’ and dedication to climate action. Climate Change Message in a Bottle is bringing the messages of young islanders to COP26 through creative learning and film. Also a traditional musician, Bethany can be found playing fiddle across Glasgow and Scotland, and believes that music and the arts are an important way of understanding belonging, history, and place attachments

Dizzanne Billy is communications and marketing specialist who enjoys applying her knowledge and practical experience to the environmental and climate change movement. She holds an MSc degree in Global Studies, having completed her thesis on the study of the effectiveness of global environmental governance in the biodiversity agenda.

Dizzanne is the Caribbean Regional Director for the global youth-led climate journalism network – Climate Tracker and an active climate change communicator, publishing on climate change and participating and leading discussions on the theme, locally, regionally, and internationally.

Dizzanne is also the former President of the Caribbean Youth Environment Network in Trinidad and Tobago and she has represented the country on multiple occasions at regional and international environmental meetings, as both a spokesperson and a reporter.

Dana completed her PhD at the University of Edinburgh in the field of refugee education. Dana
joined the Edge Research and Policy team in 2019 as a Researcher. At Edge Dana’s main areas of
interest are in further education, vocational education and training, education technology,
understanding good practice across all levels of education and labour skills shortages across the UK.

Kat Emms is a Senior Education & Policy Researcher at the Edge Foundation. At Edge, Kat is involved in research and projects relating to innovative approaches to higher education, particularly in terms of preparing students for employment; understanding the provision and development of employability skills in schools, colleges and universities; supporting the analysis of the skills shortages in the UK economy; and green skills. She has worked in a number of research and practice roles across different education settings, including research and analyst roles within local authority education, higher education and for a number of years as an International Baccalaureate teacher.