Global consultancy Island Innovation and the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis are preparing to kick off The Global Sustainable Islands Summit 2025, May 25, focused on advancing sustainable development on islands worldwide. The summit will address pressing challenges confronting island communities, focusing on water sustainability & energy nexus, agricultural resilience & climate adaptation, geothermal energy and climate-health interactions.
“This summit will call to action a space where we share practical solutions and partnerships that ripple far beyond our shores,” said St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrence Drew. “Our islands are sentinels of climate change and the proving ground for sustainable. development. It is with this spirit of shared responsibility and urgent action that we extend a heartfelt invitation to all leaders of island nations gathered here to come to engage, to commit to meaningful change.”
Islands around the world face many of the same issues. For example, most are dependent on expensive imported fossil fuels that drive the climate change causing sea level rise, increased storms and damaged ocean ecosystems on which islanders depend. Most of them do not have enough land for extensive renewable power plants and their coastlines are key for multiple industries, from tourism to shipping and fishing. While may islands and small island developing states harbor some of the world’s most abundant biodiversity, changing ocean temperatures and other issues threaten their ability to protect the ecosystems that support that biodiversity.
Representatives from multiple islands as well as academics, financial representative and representatives for organizations such as the United Nations, Nature Conservancy and Island Institute will speak at the three-day summit on topics including water management and conservation, ecosystem management and circularity.
