The Greening the Islands e_Convention – International Conference and Exhibition, reaches its 8th edition. The well-known annual event entirely dedicated to islands’ self-sufficiency and sustainability took place on October 19-20-21 and was focused on how global policy and finance need to sit at the same table with sustainable technological innovation and with joint efforts become drivers for islands’ sustainable growth. The 2020 edition explored the role of islands as laboratories for innovation and leaders in a green recovery. One year later the context has evolved: as coronavirus vaccines and stimulus packages begun to phase in, the world prepares to build back better and what was an intention must now become a reality. The 8th GTI e_Convention, culmination of the GTI Observatory’s work, endeavors to make this come true starting from the islands and their best practices protagonists of the GTI Awards.
8th edition of the
Greening the Islands e_Convention
International Conference and Exhibition
Technology, policy and finance connect at the 8th GTI e_Convention to boost islands’ sustainable growth.
EU, Caribbean, Pacific & Indian Ocean islands together to lead a change of pace with concrete cases for the GTI Awards.
The three-days event is centered on the integration of technology, policy and finance with a unique global platform where innovators, islands administrations, institutions and investors of the vast GTI network come together to originate new projects to match islands’ needs. The GTI e_Convention also concentrated on national, regional and international tenders and calls for innovation to face common challenges building coalitions of high-expertise institutions, industry associations, corporates, academia and civil society. Alongside the task forces workshops, training sessions also provided, with top global experts deepening the most advanced solutions for common islands challenges, like wave energy, sustainable maritime transport and ports electrification, and waste management.
As usual, the GTI e_Convention included the well-known International Conference and a virtual exhibition where islands promoted their territories, presenting the progress on their sustainable transition, and corporates showcased the latest innovative solutions and best practices. The global event ended with the 7th edition of the GTI Awards to reward and disseminate the best solutions applied worldwide on energy, water, mobility, waste, agriculture and sustainable tourism. The most qualified jury ever assembled for islands evaluated the projects based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria, like CO2 savings, the ecological and economic value added, replicability to other areas and degree of innovation.
Island stakeholders had the opportunity of deepening topics and continue networking also after the event through the GTI App.
The GTI e_Convention promotes private-public partnerships and cover all the 17 SDGs of the 2030 United Nations Agenda with a specific focus on the particular needs of islands communities.
As a unique feature, the exhibition area with virtual stands offers to the islands the opportunity to promote their territories and local products and show their needs, and to the corporates to show innovative solutions and best practices.
Working with islands worldwide on a daily basis since 2018, the Greening the Islands Observatory has understood what their main challenges are and how those reflects on the mainland. Islands need to create new models to substitute mass tourism with a more sustainable one, which benefits both the visitors and the residents. Islands need to shape new agricultural techniques capable of protecting their endemic production and at the same time ensuring food security.
Climate change has increased islands’ need for wiser and more efficient water management while the pandemic has drained their financial resources putting them in the need for reducing the costs relative to fossil fuels provision and waste shipping. Renewable energy sources are a great asset for islands to face all these problems, blending in also energy storage, smart grids and e-mobility. In fact, the 8th GTI e_Convention, also concentrated on national, regional and international tenders and calls for innovation to face common challenges building coalitions of high-expertise institutions, industry associations, corporates, academia and civil society.
