This year marks a special milestone for Greening the Islands as we celebrate the 10th edition of our International Conference. Designed as a hybrid event, it will harness the power of our digital platform to connect island voices from across the globe; from the Caribbean and the Pacific, to the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and the North Sea, bringing together a truly global island community. As I reflect on this journey, I’m reminded of the very first time we gathered to address the pressing sustainability challenges faced by islands. Back then, the conversation was still in its infancy, awareness was growing, but real action was just beginning to take shape.
A decade later, islands are at the forefront of global sustainability. And GTI has grown alongside them.
Over the years, the GTI Conference has evolved into much more than an event. It has become a living platform for co-creation, where key island stakeholders across sectors and governance levels come together to co-design tangible, replicable solutions for sustainable development. What sets this event apart is its deep integration of research and cutting-edge innovation, always anchored in the global climate and energy agenda. The involvement of the GTI Observatory members in shaping the scientific programme ensures that the discussions are not only multidisciplinary and forward-looking but also grounded in the real needs and priorities of island communities. This commitment to impact and collaboration is what has shaped the conference’s unique identity and allowed it to grow and deepen its relevance over the years.
This October, we celebrate ten years of that collective journey. And where better than Gozo, an island within a small island state, that embodies resilience, vision, and the power of community? At a time of unprecedented climate and geopolitical tension, the 2025 edition, will once again bring together global voices to address critical challenges and exchange innovative solutions across energy, water, mobility, waste, agriculture, tourism, and biodiversity. These themes will be explored through an integrated lens, promoting the island model as a key solution for the global sustainable transition. The event will also host the GTI Awards, now in their 9th edition, honouring excellence in integrated sustainability projects. It will be held back-to-back with the GTI Observatory Summit, a closed-door meeting of over 40 leading island organisations and global scientific institutions, members of the GTI Observatory Leading Committees, who will work together to shape sustainability pathways and prepare a joint voice for COP30.
Anticipating what’s to come, I proudly look back at what we’ve built. We have held GTI events in island territories across the world, from the Mediterranean and the North Sea, to the Indian Ocean, Caribbean and Pacific, each time tailoring our conversations to the unique realities of the host island and the surrounding region. These experiences have helped us refine our methodologies, grow our network and most importantly, learn. Because at the heart of GTI’s work is our belief that island communities are not passive actors in the climate crisis, but strong pioneers of circularity and resilience that can inspire global change.
The 10th GTI International Conference is not only a celebration of how far we’ve come, but also a renewed call to action for how far we still need to go. With new tools such as the GTI Web App and the upcoming ‘Digital Platform’, we are entering a new chapter of knowledge sharing, collaboration and digital engagement.
I look forward to welcoming you to Gozo this October, to be part of this legacy and this future. As we build momentum toward global milestones like the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) and COP30, the 10th GTI International Conference offers a timely and vital space for islands and their partners to align visions, showcase innovation, and accelerate action. Let’s keep shaping the transition, together.
Gianni Chianetta
Chair, Greening the Islands Foundation
