Hagåtña, Guam – The Guam Green Growth Working Group launched Thursday with leaders from various sectors convening and providing their expertise in setting the framework for a 10-year action plan to secure a sustainable future for the island.
Governor Lou Leon Guerrero, who established the working group under Executive Order No. 2019-23, opened the inaugural meeting by urging representatives from the public, private, and federal sectors to adapt to more sustainable ways within their agencies and organizations.
“This working group will lead the charge in creating a collective road map for all Guam agencies, businesses, organizations, and community members to advance sustainable development for our island,” Governor Leon Guerrero said. “I have every confidence that this diverse group of leaders will contribute their expertise to a thorough action strategy framework that will promote economic growth and well-being, without compromising our natural resources, biodiversity, and cultural preservation.”
The working group broke out into eight teams, each addressing different industries and communities where sustainable development can be applied. Each team incorporated a
combination of at least two U.N. Sustainable Development Goals to guide their strategic planning. Members included government agency directors, natural resource managers, scientists, nonprofit and civic leaders, and federal officials.
The G3 Working Group serves as a commitment for Guam’s active partnership in the Local2030 Islands Network, joining other islands in scaling and advancing locally and culturally relevant sustainability solutions to global challenges. The University of Guam planted the seed for the G3 Initiative in August 2019 by working with the Global Consortium for Sustainability Outcomes, Arizona State University, and the Kamehameha Schools in Hawaii, to conduct workshops in Guam and Hawaii to stimulate a green, circular economy for the islands.
“UOG and the Center for Island Sustainability are pleased to provide leadership and resources to ensure the success of the Guam Green Growth Initiative. We look forward to developing the platform into curricula and programs that will nurture our future leaders into developing Guam industries more sustainably,” UOG President Thomas W. Krise said.
The working group will continue to develop their action strategy framework in their respective areas and report its final product on the last day of the 11th UOG Conference on Island
Sustainability — Island Wisdom for a Global Future, which will be held from March 31 to April 3, 2020. To learn more about the conference and to register, visit www.uog.edu/cis2020.
Learn more about the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals at www.sustainabledevelopment.un.org.