Greening the Islands (GTI) is glad to announce that the first GTI Observatory Summit – the island meeting of public-private global leaders – will take place in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, from February the 1^st to the 3^rd, 2023.

The GTI Observatory Summit addresses the necessity for a meeting of the global leaders of the sustainable transition focused on islands, particularly in the present context of accelerating climate change, global energy crisis and supply chains disruption.

In cooperation with the Instituto Tecnologico de Canarias and with the support of Cabildo de Gran Canaria and Consejo Insular Energia, the GTI Observatory Summit will mark a significant return on the islands with key stakeholders of the global island sustainable transition and will represent a remarkable occasion to follow up on COP27, where GTI co-organized with UN DESA a session dedicated to islands.

The Summit will be run by the two leading GTI Observatory committees: the Island Advisory Committee and the Strategy Scientific Committee. The former is composed of island stakeholders among local authorities, business, citizens, and academia, and is responsible for addressing the islands’ needs. The latter is composed of international scientific organizations focused on circular economy and is responsible for transposing the islands’ needs from the Island Advisory Committee.

The objective of this operative meeting is to steer the Observatory’s strategy for the year ahead drawing on the work of the past year, and set key priorities for islands worldwide across the areas of technology, policy and finance. To do this, the stakeholders of the GTI Observatory, the islands’ think tank, will define the main gaps that need to be bridged in the development of ideal green islands.

GTI will provide basis for the discussion presenting the first GTI Observatory Report, which includes the results of the Observatory’s work across the different thematic areas of the islands’ circular economy, as well as good practices gathered from members and partners.  The Report will then be made available for download on the GTI website to all islands worldwide.

The Summit will also be part of the International Forum Ecoislas held in Gran Canaria on 2-3 February, an international event for discussion, sharing new ideas and promoting measures aimed at encouraging the transition towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly socio-economic model; one that is also more profitable, more self-sufficient and with a special focus on insular regions.

This will provide the participants to the Forum with a unique opportunity to meet the global islands’ stakeholders to share good practices, innovative, efficient and sustainable solutions to accelerate sustainable transition. At the same time, guests of the Summit will have the opportunity to meet national and local speakers involved in the dialogue, whose focus is to consolidate Gran Canaria as an eco-island.

The Summit will feature TED style talks, thematic working groups, open debates and conclusions, as well as site visits to the innovative laboratories of the Instituto Tecnologico de Canarias. The main outcomes of the Summit will be presented in a closing press conference. Among the topics that will be addressed during the event:

• Policy and regulation for islands’ decarbonization promoting integrated sustainability;
• Unlocking finance for the islands’ clean transition;
• Islands as models for sustainable tourism.

The Summit will also feature the 8th edition of the GTI Awards, with several members of the GTI Jury physically present in Gran Canaria. The island hosting the two best projects will be awarded a one-year free GTI Observatory Intermediate Membership, which includes the assessment of the islands’ status and recommendations to improve its sustainability level through the GTI Global Index, as well as the exclusive chance to test the new thematic areas of the Index: Agriculture, Maritime mobility, Air quality, Governance. The first place will be rewarded with the production of a video to promote the island with special focus to the sustainability aspects.

As GTI promotes the public-private partnership, selected companies that offer innovative solutions to the islands’ challenges will take part in the event as observers. Special guests will also be present to enrich the discussion on the latest island intelligence with testimonies and contents. Participants will have the opportunity to strengthen cooperation, originate new partnerships and initiatives, and produce recommendations for central governments.

The GTI Observatory Summit also represents an opportunity for the host islands – this year Gran Canaria, Canary Islands – to showcase its decarbonization strategy, disseminate good practices, and promote its territory.