St. Kitts and Nevis – May 2025

4th June 2025

The National Trust for the Cayman Islands (NTCI) represented the Cayman Islands at the recent
Global Sustainable Islands Summit in St. Kitts and Nevis, delivering a clear message: the protection
of historic, cultural, and natural heritage is essential to building a sustainable future.

Thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Ministry of Education, the Trust was proud to bring Al
Ebanks as a youth delegate. Al, a staff member at the Cayman Islands National Museum and a
lifetime member of the National Trust, is passionate about preserving Cayman’s heritage and
represents the next generation of cultural stewards.

NTCI Environmental Programmes Manager, Catherine Childs, and Al Ebanks spoke at a key side
event, “Islands, Cultural Heritage, and Climate Change,” which explored the vital role of heritage in
sustainable development for Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

“A sustainable Cayman is one where growth doesn’t come at the expense of identity,” Childs said.
“Cayman’s natural world is deeply woven into our cultural heritage. By protecting it, we are
preserving identity, supporting biodiversity, and strengthening our economy. The National Trust
works to ensure that our children inherit not just land and buildings, but meaning and memory.”

Al added that “the Global Sustainable Islands Summit brought together voices from across island
territories to reflect on the power of culture and heritage in building sustainable futures. It was a
privilege to represent the Cayman Islands and engage in meaningful conversations about how our
shared histories can inform collective climate and development action”

The Summit also featured regional collaboration supported by the International National Trusts
Organisation (INTO), with participation from National Trusts across the Caribbean, including St.
Kitts and Nevis, Haiti, and Aruba (see https://www.into.org/standing-together-for-heritage/). At the
same side event, Nigel Maduro, youth delegate from the Aruba National Trust and representative of
the Indigenous Caquetío people, spoke movingly about his irreplaceable cultural heritage being lost
to sea level rise and climate change.

As part of its presentation, the NTCI highlighted its core initiatives, including:

• Conservation of over 6% of Cayman’s terrestrial areas through protected reserves.
• Preservation of key historic sites on all three islands.
• Island Offsets, a carbon offset programme safeguarding local mangrove ecosystems.
• Climate education toolkit for Cayman’s schools that highlights impacts and solutions at the
  local level.
• New mobile app to help locals and visitors better engage with protected areas and historic
  sites.
• Audio tour of historic George Town, using technology to preserve and pass down Cayman’s
  stories so that they are never forgotten.

The Cayman Islands were exceptionally well-represented at the Summit. In addition to the National
Trust, attendees included representatives from:

• • Sustainable Cayman: Melanie Carmichael, Leanni Tibbetts, and Dani Seales
• • The Ministry of Health, Environment & Sustainability: Kristen Smith and Emily Gilman
• • Dentons Law: Joanna Hossack
• • Dean of CARICOM Youth Ambassadors: Vanessa Burke

Their presence reflected the depth and diversity of Cayman’s commitment to sustainability — acrosscivil society, youth, government, and legal sectors.

Joanna Hossack attended the summit in her capacity as an associate partner at Dentons law firm, anda member of the sustainable finance steering committee formed of interested members of the CaymanIslands financial services community.

Joanna stated that “Private sector support is absolutely crucial for achieving the UN sustainable
development goals, particularly in financing climate change mitigation and adaptation – and this
represents a huge opportunity for the Cayman Islands financial services industry. My aim at the
summit was to try to bridge the gap between public and private. It was inspiring to learn about the
many impactful projects that our island peers are undertaking, and I hope to support future projects
both in Cayman and in the wider region. Dentons is the largest law firm in the world and has a well-
documented commitment to sustainability, as well as a presence in many of the jurisdictions
represented at the summit. As a finance lawyer, I want to be part of the solution, rather than part of
the solution, rather than part of the problem

The Summit made clear that while small islands face shared challenges, they also have shared
strengths — and that cultural heritage can be a powerful tool for climate resilience. The National
Trust for the Cayman Islands remains committed to ensuring that Cayman’s heritage is not just
preserved, but championed, as part of a just and sustainable future.