Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Terrance Drew has issued a powerful call to participants in the 2025 Global Sustainable Island Summit (GSIS): Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are not just victims of climate change, but leaders and innovators in global sustainability.
Addressing hundreds of delegates from around the world at the opening ceremony, Dr. Drew framed his remarks toward the summit’s urgent mission. “We gather here not as isolated dots on the map, but as a constellation of islands and countries united by history, resilience, and a shared determination to chart a new course for our people and our planet,” he declared.
This year’s summit marks the first time the GSIS is being hosted in St. Kitts and Nevis, following Dr. Drew’s participation in the 2024 summit held in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Recalling that experience, he noted, “The seed was planted for what we now witness blooming here in the Caribbean—an island summit hosted by an island nation, for island people, with global consequence.”
Dr. Drew made it clear that hosting the summit is a direct expression of the Federation’s Sustainable Island State Agenda (SISA). “SISA is not a slogan, it is a framework that touches every part of our national life,” he said. “It pushes us to build smarter homes, power our country with the sun, tap into the geothermal energy beneath our soil, and teach our children not just how to succeed in the world, but how to sustain it.”
At the core of his address was a strong appeal for unity, action, and a new global multilateralism rooted in “empathy, science, and practical solidarity.” He challenged participants to move beyond conversation: “Let us leave here with more than good intentions. Let us leave with projects, partnerships, and policies.”
Emphasising that islands are not peripheral but central to climate discourse, Dr. Drew stated, “We are the frontlines of climate change… but, and I dare say, we are also the frontlines of the solutions.”
He closed his remarks with a unifying vision: “The ocean may separate us, but it also connects us. We are islands, scattered, but not divided. We are many, but we are one—one community of purpose, one family of islands, one movement for sustainability and resilience.”
The summit continues throughout the week, featuring high-level panels, technical exchanges, and collaborative forums on key issues including renewable energy, climate financing, ocean conservation, food and water security, and sustainable urban development.
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