keynote speakers
Milika Nagasima Sobey
Dr Milika Naqasima Sobey is an indigenous Fijian who currently works as a Technical Adviser-Coastal Ecosystems for GIZ Pacific. Milika was an academic for 20 years, teaching and conducting research at the University of the South Pacific. Her research interests included nutrient cycling, fisheries, coral reef ecology and water quality. She has worked at IUCN Oceania managing donor funded Climate Change Adaptation projects in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. For freshwater systems, Milika has worked on water quality monitoring, freshwater fisheries, catchment management and most recently on the political economy of the water sector in select Pacific Island countries. Milika was one of the founding members of the Women in Fisheries Network and continues to do voluntary work for Nature Fiji-Mareqeti Viti and Fiji Environmental Law Association.
James Ellsmoor
James Ellsmoor is an award-winning serial entrepreneur, writer, and influential advocate for island sustainable development. He is the CEO of the sustainable impact consultancy Island Innovation, with experience working on islands on every continent. James is widely recognized for his work in renewable energy and sustainability, having contributed extensively as a columnist for Forbes and regularly interviewed for international publications. With a systems approach encompassing climate, oceans, energy, tourism, and conservation, James focuses particularly on small island developing states (SIDS) and sub-national island jurisdictions (SNIJs). Through initiatives such as the Virtual Island Summit, he brings together representatives from diverse islands worldwide, showcasing their leadership in global sustainability and addressing pressing issues like climate action. As a sought-after speaker and consultant, James’s expertise and ability to communicate complex concepts drive positive change and shape the future of sustainable development on a global scale.
Kamanamaikalani Beamer
Dr. Kamanamaikalani Beamer is a full professor and the inaugural Dana Naone Hall Endowed Chair in Hawaiian Studies, Literature, & the Environment at Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge (HSHK) at the University of Hawaiʻi, Mānoa. He serves a dual appointment in HSHK and in the William S. Richardson School of Law, Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law. Dr. Beamer has multiple publications in the study of aloha ʻāina and the Circular Economy (CE). His books include No Mākou Ka Mana: Liberating the Nation (2014) and Islands & Cultures: How Pacific Islands Provide Paths Toward Sustainability (2022). He served two consecutive terms as a Commissioner on the Hawaiʻi State Water Resource Management Commission (2013-2021). After eight years of service, his accomplishments include restoring water to forty-five streams across Hawaiʻi and challenging the U.S. Navy on issues at Red Hill. Dr. Beamer is a father, organizer, and activist in movements to advance aloha ʻāina and water justice.
Manuel Sapiano
Manuel Sapiano is the Chief Executive Officer of the Energy and Water Agency (EWA) within Malta’s Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise. In this role, he coordinates a team of experts with responsibilities for the formulation, evaluation, monitoring and implementation of national policies concerning the use of energy and water in a sustainable manner and the formulation of plans to meet National and EU energy and water resources management targets. Mr Sapiano is a hydrogeologist, with specific specialisation in island and coastal hydrology. He has previously led the Agency’s Water Policy Unit, where he had the responsibility of coordinating the implementation process of EU related water legislation in the Maltese islands. He has been involved in the implementation process of the EU Water Framework Directive since 2002, where within the Common Implementation Strategy of this Directive, he fulfils the role of Water Director for Malta.
Høgni Hoydal
Høgni Hoydal is the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign affairs, industry and trade. He is the leader of Tjóðveldi (The Faroese Republivan Party). He was born in Copenhagen in 1966 and lives in the village of Hoyvík outside Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands. He is married to Hildur Hermansen and together they have three children and four grandchildren. Høgni Hoydal has worked as a public school teacher, as a deckhand on coast guard vessels and as a worker in fish factories in the Faroe Islands. He is educated in both the Faroe Islands and in Denmark, with a Master degree in History and Communications Science from the University of Roskilde, Denmark in 1994. From 1995 to 1998 he worked as a journalist at the National Faroese Television. Høgni Hoydal was first elected to the Faroese Parliament in 1998. He has been leader of the Republican Party of the Faroe Islands since 2000.
Former cabinet positions in the Faroese Government include: Deputy Prime Minister from 1998-2003 and in 2008; Minister with special responsibility for the Faroese independence process 1998-2003; Minister of Judicial Affairs and Nordic Cooperation 1998-2003; Minister of Culture and Education 2000, 2002 and 2019; Minister of Foreign affairs and Nordic Cooperation 2008; and Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture 2015-2019. Høgni Hoydal was elected as one of the two Faroese Members of the Danish Parliament from 2001-2011 and 2015-2019. He has been a Member of the Nordic Council from 2011 to 2015 and from 2019-2021 and was member of the Presidium of the Nordic Council from 2012 to 2015. Høgni Hoydal is also the author of two books on Faroese political affairs and history.
Ronald Roopnarine
Dr. Ronald Roopnarine is a researcher and academic with a thorough background in Disaster Risk Resilience and Sustainable Land and Water Resource Management. Presently, Dr. Roopnarine is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Food and Agriculture, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus (FFA, UWI) responsible for teaching and development of courses related to Agri-environmental Disaster Risk and Climate Resilience. He is also the Network Manager of Caribbean WaterNet, (Caribbean arm of CapNet UNDP) and a consultant for various international and regional developmental and state agencies. He has also served on numerous projects implemented by various UN agencies such as UN-water, UN- FAO, UN Environment and UNDP. Thus far he has amassed significant experience in Integrated Water Resources Management, Land management and Climate Change Adaptations, with specific focus on Caribbean Small Island Developing States.
Andrias Klein Gregoriussen
Andrias Klein Gregoriussen is a meteorologist working at the Faroese Meteorological Office and a weather presenter on the Faroese national television and radio. The Faroese Meteorological Office is a newly established entity on the Faroe Islands formed in 2021. It has taken over most responsibilities of weather forecasting on the Faroe Islands for land and sea and now plays a key role in mediating weather information to the public. By prioritizing clear and accessible communication, the organization ensures that residents are well-informed about current and upcoming weather conditions. In addition to presenting the weather, Andrias Klein Gregoriussen specializes in numerical weather modelling. With a focus on implementing advanced high-resolution modelling techniques, the Faroese Meteorological Organization aims to effectively address the complexities of the region’s unique and challenging terrain. This approach is designed to provide precise weather predictions on a local scale, which are essential for the safety, daily life and planning of the Faroese community.
Steven Myers
Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Action, Prince Edward Island. Steven Myers was first elected in 2011 and re-elected in 2015, 2019, and 2023. In May 2019, Myers was appointed Minister of Transportation, Infrastructure and Energy. In February 2021, Myers was sworn in as Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Action. Steven has served as Leader of the Opposition, Opposition House Leader and Opposition Critic for Education, Economic Development and Tourism, Transportation, and Rural Development. As Opposition Education Critic, he was instrumental in helping prevent the closure of several schools across Prince Edward Island, including Georgetown Elementary. Steven’s community involvement includes being Past-President of Cardigan Minor Ball and Montague Minor Hockey, Chair of the Cardigan Ball Field Renovations Committee and the 2011 Midget Female Atlantics Host Committee, as well as a Board Member of the Cardigan Communities Development Association and the PEI Minor Hockey Council. Steven has four children, Brad, Luke and twins Mila and Arthur, and lives with his partner Sheryl in Burnt Point. Steven was re-elected as the MLA for District 2, Georgetown- Pownal, on April 3rd, 2023.
Ingilín D. Strøm
Ingelín D. Strøm is the Minister of Environment, Housing, and Labour Market Affairs in the Faroe Islands, a position she has held since December 22, 2022. A dedicated member of the Social Democratic Party (Javnaðarflokkurin), she was elected to the Faroese Parliament in 2019, where she has been a vocal advocate for equality, climate action, and environmental protection. Strøm was raised in Vestmanna and currently resides in the village of Velbastaður. Her educational background includes an International Baccalaureate from the Red Cross Nordic United World College in Flekke, Norway, and a Bachelor of Arts in Faroese Language and Literature from the University of the Faroe Islands (Fróðskaparsetur Føroya). Voluntary work and creative activism have been central to Strøm’s life, particularly in areas concerning climate change, environmental protection, and human rights. Her commitment to these issues has strongly influenced her political career and legislative priorities. As a Member of Parliament, Strøm focused on policies that promote equality, address climate change, and enhance environmental protection. In her role as Minister, she has continued to work for these causes. Notably, she worked to pass the first nature conservation law for the Faroe Islands and implemented various measures to strengthen climate and environmental protection.