What is the Virtual Island Summit?
Free access to world-class experts. The Summit will be a free event to attend in order to ensure maximum accessibility to expertise from a variety of fields.
A zero carbon conference. The Summit will use modern technology to maximize opportunities for participation and minimize harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
Interactive sessions in various formats. The Summit will imitate a traditional in-person event with opportunities to interact with speakers and other attendees with the goal of creating an online community.
The SDGs and beyond. The Summit will covers all 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in addition to other topics pertinent to island communities.
A diverse range of viewpoints. Speakers and attendees from 100+ island communities including the Arctic, Caribbean, Europe, Indian Ocean, Pacific Islands, South America and beyond…
Cross-sector collaboration. The Summit will emphasize the need for input and partnerships from across the private, public, academic and NGO sectors.
An event where islanders from around the world joined to share ideas, good practices and solutions.
11,000
ATTENDEES THIS YEAR
500
ISLANDS REPRESENTED
160
SPEAKERS
100
FREE EVENT
11,000 attendees including policymakers, entrepreneurs, academics and NGO leaders share their expertise on island communities bringing examples of good practices from around the world.
Key Topics
The Virtual Island Summit collectively covered all aspects of sustainable development using the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework. Core themes this year was include:
Climate Action
Post-Pandemic Recovery
Blue Economy
Clean Energy Transition
Circular Economy
Diversity & Inclusion
#VIS2021 Sessions Recordings!
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Virtual Island Summit 2022
Born in the Pacific: Blockchain Evidence with Global Relevance
Despite being so notably different from other regions globally, the Pacific region is also host to the only, and largest locally-grown and led blockchain-powered, multi-agency humanitarian response. Likewise, the region’s complex and disparate geography is also very reflective of the distributed, decentralized nature and collective spirit that is reflected at the core of blockchain innovation in 2021.
So, we ask: how, where, and for what purpose can emerging technology meet culture and tradition on even ground? We speak to regional experts and innovators to start, and then take a deep dive to explore an award-winning practical example from Oxfam, the Unblocked Cash Project, drawing on local perspectives and interpretations of blockchain innovation to understand the extent of the potential, risk and challenges.
watch the recording
Meet our Speakers
Mairi Gougeon was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands in May 2021.
Mairi Gougeon was previously a councillor for Brechin and Edzell, during which she was chairwoman of the East of Scotland European Consortium.
She is a history graduate from the University of Aberdeen.
Mairi was elected as the MSP for Angus North and Mearns in May 2016. She was appointed Minister for Public Health and Sport in December 2020.
James firmly believes that New Zealand can be an example to the world in transitioning to a high-value, clean-tech, post-carbon economy that works for everyone. He also believes that, right now, the world needs more such examples to follow and that those that can lead have a duty to do so.
Prior to becoming an MP, James had a successful career in management consulting, primarily in London, where he lived from 1998 to 2010. He has diverse experience working for large multinational organisations through to local start-ups, social enterprises and community organisations, across Europe, in New Zealand and around the world.
While completing a Master’s in sustainable development and business leadership at Bath University, James came to the realisation that the private sector alone wasn’t able to effect change at the speed and scale necessary to meet the challenge of climate change and that political change was also required.
He moved back to New Zealand to run for Parliament in 2010 and was elected in 2014, becoming Green Party Co-leader in 2015. In 2017 James led the Green Party into its first ever term in Government with Ministers and was appointed Minister for Climate Change, Statistics and Associate Minister for Finance.
In his first term, James guided the Zero Carbon Act through Parliament with unanimous support; reformed the Emissions Trading Scheme to cut pollution into the atmosphere; and established Green Investment Finance ltd., to stimulate investment in the low-carbon economy.
Now in his second term, and as Minister of Climate Change, James is focusing on specific measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transport, energy and agricultural sectors. He also holds a new role as the Government’s Associate Minister for the Environment with responsibility for Biodiversity.
As a 14 year old, she co-hosted, for 4 years, the Jamaican TV Talk Show named “Rappin” that exposed youth views and inculcated in her empathy for all youth. She was Queens High School Head Girl and UNDP appointee as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador. In 1993, she won the Miss Jamaica World and Miss World Titles.
She’s a Karate black belt and a Karate Instructor and holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Communications from University of the West Indies (UWI). Her leadership qualities shone during her stint at UWI when, as a final year undergraduate, she conceptualized and raised funds to build a much needed Computer Lab for the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. She also served as External Affairs Chairperson for the Student Government.
Lisa Hanna became Jamaica’s youngest female Member of Parliament when she was elected in 2007 to represent South-East St. Ann. She has twice been re-elected. She was also Chairperson of her Party’s Region One between 2008-2016 and Youth and Culture Minister from 2012-2016,
In 2013 under her leadership she formed an Inter- Ministerial Committee for Children which involved all relevant Ministries, The Office of the Children’s Advocate; and other State Agencies that worked with Children. This approach yielded great results including the separation of children from Adult Correctional Facilities and police lock ups, the introduction of the Arts For Life Programme at the South Camp Facility for Girls to teach drama, dance and art, the allocation of increased resources to help find missing children under the Ananda Alert System, a 50% reduction in violence in schools under the Safe Schools Programme, more children being removed from state care to family environments, the removal of children being locked up for uncontrollable behaviour, the introduction of the Smiles Mobile Unit to help children with counseling, additional resources to build child friendly spaces at police stations across the country, the introduction of the Children’s Advisory Panel and the implementation of The Keating Report to name a few.
The UN acknowledged these achievements and as a result, Marta Santos Pais, UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor on Children and Violence travelled to Jamaica to host the first ever regional conference discuss best practices and solutions for countries in the Caribbean and Latin America.
By 2014 Jamaica recorded solid progress at UNICEF, especially with finding solutions to persistent problems involving child rights. Jamaica’s success, particularly in the way we turned around our approaches to children in lockups and correctional facilities, resonated globally through the walls of the UN. From our interventions and programmes, Jamaica moved up 52 places in the most recent UNICEF Kids Rights Index, to be ranked 51 out of 163 countries globally.
As Minister, she also spearheaded the successful lobby for Jamaica’s first ever election to UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee leading to Jamaica’s Blue and John Crow Mountains’ dedication as an official World Heritage Site.
She is Treasurer of the People’s National Party (PNP). She currently serves as the Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.
She’s Married to Richard Lake and is Mother to Alexander Panton.
President David Kabua is the ninth President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. President Kabua has been representing Wotho Atoll since his first appointment in 2008. In his second term, he was given the portfolio as the Minister of Health and then later as the Minister of Internal Affairs. He was appointed Minister-in-Assistance-to-the-President in his third term.
During his early years, President Kabua had worked in several Public Service positions as a teacher aid in the Headstart Program for two years, a student liaison officer, General Manager for the Marshall Islands Development Authority (MIDA) under the Ministry of Resources and Development, 1996, and four years as the Consul General in Orange Country, California.
He has an extensive background in the private sector for more than ten years as a business owner.
President Kabua was born in Majuro and is the son of the first President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands Amata Kabua and First Lady Emlain Kabua. Upon completion of his studies at Xavier High School, 1971, in Chuuk, Federated States of Microneisa, President Kabua furthered his education at Hilo College and at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Together with his wife, First Lady Ginger Shoniber Kabua, they have three children and one granddaughter.
The Rt Hon Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park is the Minister for Pacific and the Environment at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). He was first appointed as a Minister of State in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and Defra on 13 February 2020.
He was previously Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and at the Department for International Development from 10 September 2019 to 13 February 2020 and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and at the Department for International Development on 27 July 2019 and 10 September 2019.
Rachel Kitley is the Principal of Cowes Enterprise College – an Ormiston Academy, which is based on the Isle of Wight. Rachel moved to the Island in 2017 with her husband and two children, to lead the school successfully on a positive journey of improvement. The school is now ranked as the best on the Island for the progress students make whilst there, and has received widespread praise for the innovative approach to education being championed there.
Prior to joining Cowes, Rachel has held a number of leadership and teaching roles, including being the Co-Headteacher at Kingsbury High School in London in inner London with over 2000 students on roll and which achieved above average Progress 8 during her time in this role.
Aside from teaching, Rachel has long shared advice, guidance and best practice across the sector, including regularly writing for the TES on effective practices in the classroom and also writing curriculum resources for Heinemann. Rachel also presents at both national and
Saboto Caesar is a young, brilliant, energetic community activist and advocate. A lawyer by profession, Caesar was born and raised in the constituency of South Central Windward. He is a devoted Christian and family oriented young man.
The former Island Scholar and Banana Growers Association scholarship recipient is a graduate of the Diamonds Government Primary School. His wide-ranging professional experience was garnered from his work as a lawyer, community worker, Government Senator and Minister.
Caesar continues to be a force for progress in the constituency of South Central Windward. He has worked with numerous sporting and cultural groups alike and maintains an active interest in football, basketball, cricket and netball. He has played a key role in mobilizing the South Central Windward Development Organization, to launch and complete community projects such as Mt Grenan Playing Field, the Diamonds Playing Field, the Lowmans Pan Yard, the refurbishment of the Greiggs Basketball Court and several capacity building programmes.
Christine Milne was the Leader of the Australian Greens from 2012 to 2015 in the Australian Parliament. She was elected to represent Tasmania in the federal parliament in 2004 after a distinguished career in the Tasmanian state parliament (1989-98). She was instrumental in developing the Clean Energy Package, which was the core legislation responsible for addressing global warming. Christine also served on the Global Council of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) from 2000-2008 with four years as one of the four global Vice Presidents. She represented the organization at the Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change Convention.
Christine was the first woman to lead a political party in Tasmania and is a leader in the environment movement in Australia and overseas. She was appointed to the United Nations Environment Programme’s Global 500 Roll of Honour in 1990 and has received many awards during her distinguished career. She has also been awarded the Inaugural Women in Leadership Award for Tasmania in 2015. She is currently a Patron of the Australian Solar Council, an advisory board member of the Climate Accountability Institute in the USA , an Ambassador of the 100% Renewable Energy Campaign of the World Future Council and the Global Greens Ambassador.
Ambassador Solo Mara is the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF), since October 2019.
Ambassador Mara began his career in May 1989 as a graduate trainee at the Ministry of Home Affairs and later on in the Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Over the years, Ambassador Mara rose through the diplomatic ranks to serve as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [2009-2011], High Commissioner to the United Kingdom [2011-2015] and Ambassador to the United States America [2015-2019].
In recognition of his 20 years contribution in the Diplomatic Service of the Republic of Fiji, Ambassador Mara received from the President of Fiji, His Excellency MajorGeneral [Ret] Jioji Konrote, the Fiji 50 Independence Commemorative medal at the State House on October 2020.
Ambassador Mara holds a Master Degree in International Relations from the International University of Japan (1997) and a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of the South Pacific (1988). He also received various diplomatic training at the Korean Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (2000) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Australia [2006].
Ambassador Mara is married to Kerry Megan Mara and blessed with two daughters and two sons
Ngaire has been in the television industry for over 30 years and has a wealth of experience in production. Starting in the Maori & Pacific Programmes Department at TVNZ in the late ‘80s working with the late Ernie Leonard and Whai Ngata she worked on productions from 1988 Telethon, 1990 Commonwealth Games right through to presenting on shows like Tagata Pasifika, Town and Country, NZ Living and going on to production work with Tagata Pasifika.
While working at TVNZ’s, Maori & Pacific Programmes, Ngaire started her musical career and had some success as a recording artist. She released her debut album “Ngaire” in 1991 and is best known for her 1990 remake of the Lulu classic “To Sir with Love” which stayed at No 1 for 5 weeks on the National Charts.
After many years behind the camera, Ngaire was again in the spotlight when the camera followed her on her maiden voyage to Rotuma in the Tagata Pasifika documentary “Salat Se Rotuma” a moving story about cultural identity, a professional and personal highlight so far in her career.
Ngaire teamed up with NZ Samoan writer and director Jeremiah Tauamiti in 2016 to make the Samoan short film “Liliu” that premiered at the 2019 Berlinale NATIVe and went on to win Best Short film at the Wairoa Film Festival, Berlin Down Under and the Hawaii International Film Festival. Of Dutch and Rotuman (Fiji Islands) descent and she’s passionate about telling Pacific stories through the Pacific lens. Ngaire is currently in development producing her first feature film “Mysterious Ways”. Ngaire is a Company Director of SunPix Ltd Producers of the long running Pacific television show “Tagata Pasifika” and SunPix Post.
With two Master’s Degrees, one from the London School of Economics in ‘Social Policy and Planning for Developing Countries’, and the second, a Master’s in Public Administration with a dual concentration in ‘Public Policy and Leadership’ and ‘Leadership and Human Rights’ from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, Kirk has put his academic preparation into practice for the past 15-years.
Kirk’s professional experience has spanned both the public and the private sector and has included senior posts with International Development Agencies, the Child Care Board, the Bureau of Social Policy, Research and Planning in the social sector.
Kirk has worked tirelessly on community initiatives and is an active member of a number of organizations that focus on social justice. His main interests lie in poverty alleviation, youth issues, elderly affairs and the environment. He has also recently been focusing on the effect of gender inequalities on development. Kirk is passionate about the arts, having performed with the Pinelands Creative Workshop and has won poetry awards at NIFCA.
Karolin Troubetzkoy is the Executive Director, Marketing and Operations of Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain Resorts in Soufriere, Saint Lucia, a position she held since 1986.
From March 2010 to January 2016 and again from 2018-June 2021, Mrs Troubetzkoy served as President of the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA).
Mrs Troubetzkoy was appointed President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) in January 2016, for the term 2016-2018, with her presidency coming to an end in June 2018 at which point she became and served as Immediate Past President until October 2020. Mrs Troubetzkoy was only the second woman to serve as President in CHTA’s 50+ year history.
When her CHTA Presidency came to an end, Mrs Troubetzkoy agreed to take on and still serves in the role of Chairperson of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Education Foundation and in this position continues fundraising in the industry to make available scholarships and training opportunities.
In Jan 2019, she was appointed Envoy to the Caribbean Challenge Initiative to bring awareness and build up resilience of the marine and coastal resources in the Caribbean. In July 2020, she accepted the Chairmanship of the Saint Lucia National Conservation Fund and in this capacity, has joined the board of the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund.
She is the Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany in Saint Lucia and is a citizen of Saint Lucia. On May 24, 2019 the Federal Republic of Germany bestowed on Karolin the Order of Merit to acknowledge her work as Honorary Consul and her volunteer leadership in Saint Lucia and the Caribbean to promote sustainable operations, building resilience and mitigating effects of climate change.
She holds a degree in business administration with majors in both tourism marketing and hotel and restaurant management from the University of Applied Sciences in Munich. She speaks four languages: German, French, English and Italian.
Lyston E Skerritt returned to Montserrat in 2017 after studies abroad, with a passion for education, youth affairs and efficient system development. As a youth, he was involved with the Montserrat Secondary School Cadet Corp, the Leeward Island Debating Competition and served as the Commonwealth Youth Ambassador. In 2005, he was awarded the Georgia Rotary Scholarship and pursued his tertiary education in the United States of America. He holds a Bachelors of Arts in Communication Studies from Augusta University in GA with minors in Philosophy and Psychology. In 2012 he completed his Master’s in Education and Counseling from the University of Louisville. He is a trained counselor, ombudsman and mediator with a decade of work supporting the establishment and operation of education institution, non-profits and non-governmental organizations. Since his return, he has rapidly advanced in the Government Public Service and now serves as the acting Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports. Above all else, Mr. Skerritt lives by the strong family and religious foundation afforded to him growing up in Montserrat and still attributes many of his successes to his reflection on the MSS motto, “Qui non proficit deficit”, He who does not progress retrogresses.
H.E Dr Walton a Webson, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations.
H.E. Dr. Walton Webson holds a Bachelor of Science degree, a Master of Science in Management of Non-Profit Organizations, a Post Graduate Diploma in Organizational Development from the New School for Social Research, and a DM in Management from Case Western Reserve University. He worked for several international nongovernment organizations including: Sight Savers International of the (UK), The Caribbean Council for the Blind, (Antigua and Barbuda), Hellen Keller International of New York and Perkins International where he worked from 1992 to 2014 and was the organization’s Chief Executive from 2011. Dr. Webson is an Antiguan diplomat. He has served as the Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York of Antigua and Barbuda since 2014.
Since at the United Nations, Ambassador Webson served as President of UNICEF, 2017 and was Vice President of its Board in 2016. Ambassador Webson chaired the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence of Colonial Countries and Peoples also known as the Special Committee on decolonization or C-24 in 2018. He was appointed by the President 72nd session of the UN General Assembly to co-facilitate with the Ambassador of Japan the high-level meeting on tuberculosis which took place in September 2018 and was appointed by the President of the UN General Assembly in 2019 to be a co-facilitator on the Steering Committee on Accessibility and continues to chair that committee on the reappointment from the president of the 74th session of the General Assembly.
Ambassador Webson is an innovator and a leader. He founded the Friends of Vision at the United Nations; a group responsible for advocating for eye health to be included in universal health care. He was successful in getting eye health for the first time included in a UN resolution on UHC.
Ambassador Webson with the Ambassadors of Denmark and the UAE formed the informal group of the Presidents of the UN agencies to coordinate the work of the Funds and Programmes of the United Nation agencies.
He was the lead sponsor on two resolutions affecting the lives of persons with disabilities around the world and is considered as a champion on disabilities issues and a leading voice on issues of Small States.
Ambassador Webson served in 2020 as the President of the board of the United Nations Development Programmed (UNDP, UNOPS AND UNFPA). He is the current co-chair of the UN Steering Committee on the Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) and has had the honor to lead the CARICOM Caucus at two General Assemblies over his first four years at the UN.
In 2017, Ambassador Webson was the lead voice of the initiative for raising pledges in support of global response to the needs of the Caribbean to Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The UN sponsored activity attracted more than 2.1 billion dollars in pledges.
He continues to sit on several UN committees including committees responding to the challenges of COVID19.
Ambassador Webson led Antigua and Barbuda’s team on the negotiations on the resolutions of the SDGs 2015. He also led the Antigua and Barbuda’s team at the 2016 meeting on climate change and he has led several climate change meetings for Antigua and Barbuda since his appointment at the United Nations.
Ambassador Webson has spearheaded several initiatives on Antigua and Barbuda including: a para-transit programmed for persons with disability, the Antigua Barbuda Science Park, driving solar energy in support of the Department of Environment, the diaspora response to Hurricane Irma and Maria and support to areas of sports, education, gender issues and youth development.
Ambassador Webson is a published author and has recently contributed in The Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health: vision beyond 2020 and in the ICEVI journal 2021.
Ambassador Webson is married with three children.
Climate crisis journalist and scholar with a focus on small islands, gender, environmental negotiations and human rights.
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Oxfam is a global movement of people who are fighting inequality to end poverty and injustice. We are working across regions in about 70 countries, with thousands of partners, and allies, supporting communities to build better lives for themselves, grow resilience and protect lives and livelihoods also in times of crisis.
Because we want lasting solutions, we fight the inequalities that keep people locked in poverty and injustice, we tackle not the symptoms but the systems, and we campaign for genuine, durable change.
Towards a just and sustainable world
We have a vision of a just and sustainable world. A world where people and the planet are at the center of our economy. Where women and girls live free from violence and discrimination. Where the climate crisis is contained. And where governance systems are inclusive and allow for those in power to be held to account.
Our ambition is lasting impact. We make a difference by being part of a global movement for social justice.
The Private Financing Advisory Network is a global network of climate and clean energy financing experts, which offers free business coaching and investment facilitation to entrepreneurs developing climate and clean energy projects in emerging markets.
Our goals are to build clean energy markets one business at a time, mitigate climate change and mobilise private investment in support of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Sustainable Development Goals. Initiated by the UNFCCC and the Climate Technology Initiative (CTI) in 2006, PFAN is hosted jointly by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP).
The Waitt Institute creates and implements sustainable ocean plans in partnership with committed governments and local stakeholders. They currently have partnerships with the governments of the Azores, Barbuda, Bermuda, Curaçao, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Maldives, and Tonga. The Waitt Institute is a founding member and the organizing body of the Blue Prosperity Coalition, a network of NGO’s, academic institutions, foundations, and other organizations working together to assist committed governments to protect the environment and improve the economy at the same time.
EDF Renewables is a world leader in renewable energy mainly focused on solar photovoltaic power, wind and energy storage.
The company develops, builds and operates clean energy power plants in more than 20 countries both for its own account and for third parties.
As an integrated operator with global reach, EDF Renewables covers the entire renewable energy chain, from development and construction to asset management and operation and maintenance. EDF Renewables manages all project phases in-house to control the quality and performance of its power plants and provides long-term support for its partners.
EDF Renewables is a subsidiary of EDF, helping the Group to achieve its renewable energy goals. The EDF Group generates low-carbon electricity around the world and actively participates in the energy transition. It plans to double its renewable capacity by 2030, from 28 GW (including hydro) to 50 GW, as part of its strategic project “CAP 2030”.
As of December 31th 2020 the company’s gross installed capacity amounted to 13.8 GW worldwide, with 23.4 TWh of electricity generated and 17.1 GW under operation and maintenance.
EDF Renewables has a dedicated team focused on Microgrid and energy transition for islands and remote areas. You can find more information on : https://www.edf-renouvelables.com/microgrid/
The High Seas Alliance is a partnership of more than 45 organizations and groups working to improve protection for nearly 50 percent of the planet that is the high seas. Our aim is to ensure that the intergovernmental conference taking place at the United Nations for the development of a new legally binding treaty under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, results in robust protection for marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, including a framework for establishing marine protected areas and reserves in the high seas. The High Seas Alliance is committed to working with States towards the quick adoption, ratification and implementation of a new and robust treaty to protect the world’s ocean beyond national jurisdiction.
Janine Grant Consulting is a consortium of senior consultants with diverse backgrounds, ranging from communications and community development, to climate change financing, migration and social protection. Our consultants bring a minimum of 10 years of experience in their field of expertise and are selected for projects based on their complementary skill sets and geographical experience. Unique to Janine Grant Consulting, the company utilizes an Advisory Board comprised of its most senior consultants to provide quality assurance services to all contracts and grants commissioned through the company. This process provides an additional guarantee of quality and efficiency for all our clients.
We are conscious of the reputation that international consulting companies have when it comes to providing services – parachuting in consultants for short time-frames, relying heavily on local ‘fixers’ to link them to networks, provide local context and translation. We are also aware of the carbon footprint that consultants bring to their work and feel that this is an unnecessary burden on the environment. As such, wherever possible, we use our network to identify high-quality consultants already based in the countries in which our projects are focused, reducing costs in terms of travel and translation, as well as leveraging their existing networks and capitalizing on their knowledge of and insights into local context that is hugely beneficial to our work, across the spectrum of interventions from analysis to capacity building, research to policy recommendations.
FORWARD is funded by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 programme : Grant agreement ID 824550
Boosting Research Excellence & Innovation Capacity in Outermost Regions
Supported by Interreg VA France (Channel) England, the Intelligent Community Energy (ICE) project aims to design and implement innovative smart energy solutions for isolated territories in the Channel area. The project designs and produces an innovative low-carbon energy system (smart grid), able to significantly reduce the greenhouse gas emission of the territories concerned (50% to 100% compared to a fuel-based system) and secure energy access security. It covers the entire energy cycle from production to consumption, exploits local renewable energy sources and integrates new and existing technologies currently at different levels of readiness in order to deliver a comprehensive innovative solution.
The ICE consortium brings together researcher and business support organizations in France and the UK, and engagement with SMEs will support project rollout and promote European cooperation. Among the consortium are Bretagne Développement Innovation,Technopôle Brest-Iroise, Technopôle Quimper- Cornouaille, the Syndicat Départemental d’Énergie et d’Équipement du Finistère, the Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique, the University of East Anglia, the University of Exeter, the University of Plymouth and Marine South East Ltd.
The Ministry of Economic Development of Curacao gives direction to sustainable economic development in order to realize a higher level of prosperity for the society of Curaçao and stimulates a strong competitive position and high quality production. This is achieved by providing optimal service, strengthening the economic structure and effectively responding to social and international developments.
The Ministry is responsible for policy, implementation and control on the following areas:
- Business, consisting of (micro) SME policy, economic development, capital market, competition policy, infrastructure, knowledge, economic and Agricultural fisheries production and business establishment policy.
- Economic Development and Innovation, consisting of market forces, innovation, energy, industry development, employment and macro-economic stability.
- Foreign Economic Cooperation, consisting of trade policy, international business and foreign investment.
Edge is the independent education charity dedicated to making education relevant. We believe a coherent, unified and holistic education system can support social equity and enable all young people to fulfil their potential.
Edge’s research shows that a broad and balanced curriculum, including creative and technical subjects, rich employer engagement, teacher autonomy and interactive pedagogy, can help to bring learning alive and prepare students for more than just a set of exams.
Edge runs the Island Education Network, which brings together islands around the British Isles and British Overseas Territories to discuss issues relating to education policy in an island setting.
It’s the oldest science festival anywhere outside Edinburgh, and in its 30th year welcomes the challenge of going online as an opportunity to reach out worldwide. Speakers have included Jane Goodall and Nobel laureates Peter Higgs, Brian Josephson and Sir Paul Nurse, and the Festival has a particular interest in cutting-edge ideas, and in the connections between science and history, music, and the arts generally. Astronomy and archaeology are also featured strongly. From the start it has highlighted Orkney’s energy potential, and the old island challenge of turning waste into resources. It is also involved in several innovative upcycling projects. It wants to share the skills of creating a science festival and will next year launch an online course for communities seeking to develop their own. It opens in the week before the Virtual Island Summit, with events over the seven days of 3-9 September. On the preceding weekend, 29-30 August, it features events from a new Foraging Fortnight in Scotland. After the session that it’s hosting on Wednesday 9 September, it warmly invites all Summit attenders to continue the discussion at its closing ceilidh, with traditional music too. Everything can be accessed through its website www.oisf.org, or email orkneyscience@gmail.com
The Island Institute works alongside Maine’s island and coastal leaders to catalyze community sustainability in the state’s 120 island and coastal communities and share what works among these diverse communities and beyond.
Our Partners
ImpactAlpha is a subscription-based, multi-channel digital media platform that is redefining business journalism around social and environmental value. Our audience and our beat are “Agents of Impact” working in impact investing, sustainable finance, ESG and entrepreneurship to accelerate a more just, equitable and sustainable world. Subscribe today at impactalpha.com
Launched in March 2013, @SriEvent has been globally the first and is so far the sole Twitter handle exclusively devoted to telling the stories of events on sustainable finance. @SriEvent stands among the world’s top social media influencers on #sustainablefinance and more broadly sustainability issues, and partners with distinguished organizations/events in the sustainable finance field at international level.
@SriEvent specializes in creating, searching and aggregating, valorizing and promoting Twitter-based contents for events on sustainable finance. #SriAgenda, #Livetweeting, #TwitterChat, #TwitterInterview are the main services provided by @SriEvent in the framework of a modular and customizable offer.
In May 2019 @SriEvent launched its first local chapter @SriEvent_It focused on the Italian landscape. @SriEvent is also present on Linkedin (since 2020) and Instagram (since 2021).
@SriEvent is part of a network of Twitter handles launched by @andytuit, a story-tweeter, blogger, journalist, writer, adjunct professor and guest lecturer on sustainable finance, member of Managers For Future Pioneer Team, with 20+ years of experience in the field.
March For Science is a global community of science supporters committed to building a more sustainable, just world. Our mission is to mobilize advocates across the globe in support of evidence-based, science-informed public policies.
The Global Ethical Finance Initiative is a non-profit based in Scotland with a global footprint. We are dedicated to enabling finance to deliver positive change and help achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Through our www.pathtocop26.com campaign, we are committed to making finance work for COP26, and COP26 work for finance. As a Scottish-based organisation, we are particularly excited to welcome the world to Glasgow this year. Her Majesty’s Government, Scottish Government, the UN and Island Innovation are signatories alongside financial institutions such as Aberdeen Standard Investments, Baillie Gifford, Federated Hermes, ING, NatWest Group and Royal London. Our events have a reputation for driving action through frank, honest debate amongst a global coalition across financial services. Previous keynote addresses have included: Gordon Brown, Dame Susan Rice, Sir Roger Gifford, Achim Steiner, Archbishop Justin Welby and Nicola Sturgeon.
Marine Conservation without Borders bridges the gap between Indigenous and scientific communities through bilingual biocultural STEM curricula focused on concepts and lessons in conservation, biology, and ecology. These curricula pair a local language of instruction with Indigenous and Creole languages focused on communities where these latter languages are peoples’ primary languages (the languages of homes and livelihoods).
One of the projects of Marine Conservation without Borders is the Sargassum Podcast. The podcast interviews diverse stakeholders to share their solutions and knowledge regarding the international challenge of massive Sargassum influx. Episodes are in either English, French or Spanish and include subtitles in over 100 languages and are released weekly.
Our work bridges communities, creating space for new modes of communication that value and promote mutual respect and understanding. The world has big challenges facing the communities comprising it, without spaces for common ground to be found, communities and their natural environments will continue to fracture. We aim to bind them by equipping them for an improved opportunity of resiliency.
The Journal of Caribbean Environmental Sciences and Renewable Energy (CESaRE) was developed in 2016 out of a recognized need to modernize and revolutionize the Caribbean’s scientific research publishing. With the global shift towards renewables over traditional energy sources, together with a collective rise in environmental consciousness, CESaRE is the perfect opportunity for highlighting such research conducted in the Caribbean. CESaRE will provide a suitable forum to encourage research dissemination in the region and promises to be more than just a collection of academic articles. Our innovative media and growing audience will provide a nexus for Caribbean leaders, key industry partners, and authorities to catalyze more effective decision making processes within our increasingly vulnerable region.
BuzzMaker is an award-winning global political and public affairs consultancy. BuzzMaker has operated at the highest levels of campaigns in 30 countries, territories and regions around the world. Our references include several sitting and former Prime Ministers, Presidents, Opposition Leaders and major international brands.
We have deep experience providing government relations, public affairs, public relations, communications and advertising campaigns in dozens of small island developing states. In total, we’ve worked in 16 islands in the Atlantic and Caribbean and, beyond our island work, we’ve worked on every continent in the world. If you’re looking to advocate for a policy change, advance an issue position, understand and engage with government and civil society stakeholders or win an election, we’d love to help.
Thepostman 24 is a media organization focused on bringing news from all over the world to its audience and incorporating new forms of thoughts into journalism. This media doesn’t solely revolve around providing news but rather works to bring the world closer through various initiatives and aims to increase involvement in various international projects. Our team works tirelessly to bring all of our goals to fruition and to always present something never done before in local journalism.
Our goals:
- Covering one crisis at a time through innovative, authentic storytelling
Focusing solely on original reportage - Reaching a larger audience not just through providing latest news but also by incorporating new journalism techniques
- Becoming a well-known name to both national and international masses for innovative ideas
- Improving relations with different countries and carrying out projects at a larger scale that incorporate media of various countries.
Emerging Impact (EI) is a blockchain for social impact company that empowers social entrepreneurs and international aid agencies to easily develop, customize, and deploy blockchain-based fintech products to build wealth and digital and financial inclusion in emerging markets. As an all-in-one advisory & tech firm, EI offers a multidisciplinary team focused on community-engaged solutions development, technical assistance, and last-mile digital outreach to underserved communities. Umoja, EI’s open banking platform, enables aid agencies and emerging market financial service providers to develop and deploy inclusive, digital fintech tools leveraging blockchain technology. We work with international partners and communities across the Pacific Islands, the Caribbean and East and Southern Africa.
The Island Resilience Partnership (IRP) is a social enterprise that amplifies climate action and scales climate solutions. Through the development of public-private partnerships and cross-sector collaborations, IRP helps the world’s most vulnerable countries achieve climate mitigation and climate adaptation goals.
Founded in 2010, Institutions & Stratégies is a firm specializing in strategic advice, innovation financing and public affairs and engineering of European and international funding.
Since October of 2014, Institutions & Stratégies SAS has been strengthening and expanding its service offering to always better support you in the European and international financing of your development projects.
Institutions & Stratégies is positioned as a major player in financial lobbying, assistance in the obtention of European funding and the positioning of SMEs within the framework of international public contracts.
Now, in a financial project management process made complex by the profusion of information and the interaction of many stakeholders, our firm, through its Financing division, advises and guides eligible project leaders in obtaining financing European and international within the framework of calls for projects. Through its Public Affairs division, our firm supports its clients at each stage of their lobbying strategy, in order to enable them to be heard in the public arena. Through its International Economic Diplomacy division, the firm provides its expertise to its clients in the implementation of their international development within the framework of international public contracts.
With a strong experience in institutional lobbying for more than 20 years and support to international development through the financial set-up and project management for more than 7 years, we contribute to setting up strategic partnerships between SMEs, start-ups, major groups and research organisations, and to trigger national and European public funding for innovative projects in various technological sectors (industrial technologies, health, eco-technologies, ICT, chemistry, nanotechnology, agro-industry, etc.) involving partners from four continents.
The Barbados Environmental Conservation Trust (BECT) has been set up to enable and support local environmental activities aimed at the preservation and restoration of Barbados’ natural assets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I attend the Virtual Island Summit?
The summit is a unique and totally free experience! You can learn from world-leading experts from diverse backgrounds about the latest projects being deployed in island communities, with applications far beyond. Each session will be interactive with opportunities to ask questions and make connections. This year we are expanding to have even more features and especially networking opportunities with representatives of over 500 islands!
What's new in 2021?
We are continuing to build out our program to include new virtual features, and especially networking opportunities. We are continuing to expand program the Hubs and Ambassador programs, which allows our global virtual evennt to directly connect with local communities.
How much does the Summit cost? Do I need anything to participate?
The summit is totally free!! You can sign up here and all you need to take part is and an internet connection and the Zoom webinar software. The networking sessions will be held on Remo, which is accessed directly in your browser.
How do I participate?
All are welcome to participate in the summit – feel free to invite friends and colleagues. Participants can take part in every session, or simply chose the sessions most relevant to them and are all encouraged to join the social media conversation.
Download the attendee guide for more information, click here.
Will the Summit be recorded?
The summit will be broadcast LIVE, taking place over multiple days in various timezones. Ideally, guests should join live for opportunities to ask questions and interact with fellow attendees. However, all sessions will be recorded and made available online a few weeks after the event.
What is Island Innovation?
Island Innovation is a consultancy and advisory firm offering specialized services across various economic sectors. We bring together the private sector, government, NGOs and academia to advance innovation for sustainability in island communities worldwide. The organization works with diverse rural and island communities around the world to develop solutions for sustainable development. Island Innovation uses its global network to find innovative solutions with cutting-edge technology.
Can I speak or recommend a speaker or topic?
We are no longer accepting speakers for this year’s event. If you would like to nominate a speaker for a future event click here.
Can I sponsor the Summit?
We have limited opportunities for sponsors of specific sessions or the event as a whole. If you are interested in sponsoring the event click here and we will be in touch.
Can we organize a local screening of the summit?
We are exploring opportunities to screen parts of the summits on islands around the world to ensure local communities can take part. If you would like to organize a screening on your island please get in touch.
How can I get involved with Island Innovation
Thanks for your support! You can explore the Island Ambassadors program for opportunities to be involved.
Can I give feedback or make a suggestion?
We always welcome ideas! Please get in touch.
