HAC Caribbean 30×30

An established communications and marketing company specialized in sustainable development projects for island nations, Island Innovation was identified by Campaign For Nature (CFN) as a key entity capable of mobilizing decision-makers in the Caribbean to support the HAC. The CFN is a member and supporter of the HAC's 30×30 goal, and sought to use Island Innovation's network in the Caribbean to raise awareness of the target ahead of the UN's Biodiversity Conference in April 2022. This summit would see HAC countries enter into further negotiations and build a framework to reach the target.

Several Caribbean countries had already signed up to the Global Ocean Alliance (GOA), a campaign to protect marine biodiversity, but were not participating in the 30×30 goal, which prioritized a holistic land and sea approach. As such, Island Innovation was approached to help use our platform and communications services to raise awareness of the 30×30 goal in the Caribbean and support their political outreach operations to ensure Caribbean nations protect their land and ocean resources. This meant leveraging Island Innovation's media connections in the region to discuss the 30×30 target, creating a bespoke website dedicated to the campaign, writing several press releases and blogs, as well as carrying out informative live streams with regional leaders.

The Caribbean 30×30 campaign was featured in several major regional outlets including the Jamaica Gleaner, Grenada NOW, and Barbados Today, while gaining social media endorsements by the Global Island Partnership (GLISPA) and the Organization of East Caribbean States (OECS). Television interviews were secured for regional leaders such as Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF) CEO Karen McDonald Gayle, UK High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago Harriet Cross who backed the HAC and 30×30 target. They were aired on Trinidad & Tobago TV and CNC3TV respectively.

The two livestreams created by Island Innovation featured Racquel Moses, CEO of the Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator, Dr Didacus Jules, Director General of the OECS, the Hon. Matthew Samuda (Government of Jamaica), and the Hon. Simon Stiell (Government of Grenada), and helped drive interest and traffic to the 30×30 website. Through our work, the HAC and Campaign For Nature were able to secure the participation of several Caribbean governments to the 30×30 target.

What's next for the HAC campaign

The HAC has almost 100 nations now pledged to supporting the global 30×30 target, and the coalition now has four distinct objectives, per its latest release:

• Continuing coordination and support for implementation of the 30x30 target;
• Hosting a platform for the exchange of knowledge, best practice and capacity building;
• Identifying the opportunities for resource mobilization dedicated to the 30x30 target; and
• Organizing high-level events to maintain political attention on biodiversity conservation. In order to be successful, it will require updated scientific knowledge as well as dedicated human and financial resources, and, more importantly, cooperation and innovative partnerships among stakeholders.