Pre-conference events for the 14th annual conference, including the Guam Energy Transition Symposium and Submerged Lands Partnership, start on April 10. As co-chairs of the conference, UOG President Thomas W. Krise and Guam Governor Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero will present the theme “Rediscover the Depths of Our Island Abundance.”

This year’s keynote speakers are Hawai`i and New York-based entrepreneur Henk Rogers and international human rights lawyer Julian Aguon.

Rogers is known for his environmental advocacy work and success in pushing for the adoption of Hawai`i's mandate for 100% renewable energy by 2045. As founder of the Blue Planet Alliance, Rogers is inspiring the rest of the world to do the same. The renewable energy visionary is also known for bringing the game Tetris to a wider audience. The recently released thriller film “Tetris” on Apple TV+ stars Taron Egerton who portrays Rogers during his quest to secure the rights to the game in the former Soviet Union. Rogers is using this elevated global attention to further climate change action and create a sustainable global future.

Aguon is the founder of Blue Ocean Law, a progressive firm that works at the intersection of Indigenous rights and environmental justice. He serves as lead counsel to the Republic of Vanuatu which is spearheading the global campaign to pursue an advisory opinion on climate change from the International Court of Justice. He is the author of “No Country for Eight-Spot Butterflies” and was a finalist for the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary

Other featured speakers include:

• Dr. Nicole Yamase, the first Micronesian and Pacific Islander to descend to the Challenger Deep in the Marianas Trench
• Kate Brown, Executive Director of the Global Island Partnership
• Christine Landmeier, Director of Environmental Sustainability at United Airlines
• Omar Degan, principal of DO Architecture Group specialized in sustainability and emergency architecture
• Basil Ottley, Director of Policy for the Department of Interior Office of Insular Affairs
• Landisang Kotaro, Chief of Staff to the President of Palau.

Since 2010, UOG has gathered islanders and their allies each year to share research and spark action on sustainability.

Director Austin Shelton of the UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant programs hopes this year’s conference will uncover new perspectives.

“Islands are often misjudged as isolated, limited, or vulnerable. This year, we swim beyond the scarcity of the shallows, dive deeper, and rediscover abundance. We will see examples in food production, natural resource discovery and management, and shifting to a circular economy,” Shelton said.

At the conference, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in discussions, share ideas, and learn from experts and thought leaders in their respective fields. Keynote and breakout sessions will emphasize the importance of building multi-sectoral partnerships as well as effective and innovative solutions for sustainable development, green economy, food security, energy transition, climate change, human society, youth empowerment, and other relevant subjects.

The conference attracts a diverse audience, including attendees from academia, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private businesses worldwide. Thousands of participants represented more than 80 countries, states, and territories at the previous years’ hybrid conferences.

The main conference will begin on Wednesday, April 12 with the Guam Green Growth Biannual Meeting. The community is invited to the opening. This year's conference will also include conversations on sustainability as part of the "CIS SEED Talks: Ideas Worth Cultivating" series. Similar to TED talks, CIS SEED Talks are short, powerful talks of 15 minutes or less designed to grow ideas on a variety of topics. 

Registration is available for participants to join from April 13-15. Special rates are available for Guam and Micronesia residents, students, and teachers.

For more information on in-person or online/virtual sessions: Visit uog.edu/cis2023/registration. 

To see the schedule, go to uog.edu/cis2023/schedule.