Gran Canaria, Spain | In-person | English & Spanish
Thank you to our attendees, partners, and speakers for an inspiring summit dedicated to sustainable island development worldwide.
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This page archives the programme, speakers, and resources from Gran Canaria. Read our full thank-you message to the community.
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GSIS is designed for participants actively engaged in island-focused work. If your decisions, solutions, or investments impact island communities, this is where the right conversations happen.
GSIS convenes the institutions and partners needed to move island initiatives beyond dialogue and into delivery.
To engage in policy dialogue and peer exchange, advance island energy and climate agendas, and foster regional and international partnerships.
Present innovative solutions, connect with decision-makers and deployment partners, and explore real-world island implementation.
Identify collaboration opportunities, align funding and investment priorities, and engage with credible project pipelines.
Exchange applied experience and case studies, strengthen partnerships for sustainable impact, and connect community-based work to policy frameworks.
Share research insights and applied evidence, connect academic work with policy and implementation, and develop research partnerships and international collaboration opportunities.
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Join island leaders, innovators, and sustainability specialists from around the world as we gather in the beautiful island of Gran Canaria to shape the future of Sustainable Island Development. The Global Sustainable Islands Summit 2026 will bring together cutting-edge solutions, inspiring stories, and actionable strategies for creating resilient island communities.
Gran Canaria, one of the islands from the Canary Islands region, also a part of the Macaronesia region that encompasses the Azores, Madeira and Cape Verde, has become the focus for Sustainability projects. The island positions itself as a bridge between Europe, Africa and the Americas. The island has been pioneering innovative approaches to climate adaptation, renewable energy and responsible tourism projects.
A point of reference for its fine architecture and functionality in the south of Gran Canaria. This is a multifunctional building with a surface area of 14,000m². Its 24 conference halls, with a total surface area of 9,264 square metres, can host such varied events as congresses, conferences, exhibitions, concerts, sports events, fashion shows and all types of meetings.
Global Sustainable Islands Summit 2026 has come to a close. We are deeply grateful to every participant who joined us in Gran Canaria-your energy, ideas, and commitment to island sustainability made this edition meaningful and memorable.
To partners, speakers, sponsors, and volunteers: thank you for helping us build a space where island leaders and changemakers could connect, learn, and move practical solutions forward.
This page remains as a record of the programme and outcomes from April 20-22, 2026. We look forward to staying in touch with our community for future work on resilient, sustainable islands worldwide.
The same community moves forward in 2027. Get one email when we open registration and publish the full programme-so you can plan ahead.
Register interest for GSIS 2027Co-hosted with the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, the Global Sustainable Islands Summit is the premier international forum for addressing sustainable development in island communities. In May 2024, the Summit was successfully hosted in Prince Edward Island, Canada. In 2025 the event was hosted by St. Kitts & Nevis and brought the focus to the Caribbean. Now, it will be held in Gran Canaria, a strategic hub for sustainability in Europe, the Canary Islands, and the wider Macaronesia region. The 2026 Global Sustainable Islands Summit provides a platform for high-level dialogue, knowledge exchange, and practical collaboration among leaders, policymakers, sustainability experts, and global stakeholders.
The Ecoislas Agenda is Gran Canaria's main sustainability framework, guiding its transition toward a resilient, climate-neutral, and inclusive development model. It brings together key areas such as climate action, energy, water and food sovereignty, biodiversity, circular economy, and sustainable tourism under a unified territorial strategy aligned with European goals. By integrating policy, innovation, and community engagement, Gran Canaria positions itself as a living laboratory for island sustainability. This vision strongly complements the aims of the Global Sustainable Islands Summit (GSIS) and highlights Gran Canaria's leadership in sharing scalable, real-world solutions with islands globally.
Learn more about the Ecoislas Agenda ->Six critical pathways for sustainable island development, bringing together global expertise and local innovation
Pioneering microgrids, pumped hydro and storage integration, offshore wind, affordability and community-scale energy planning and renewable solutions from islands leading the transition
Maritime governance, offshore wind, shipping innovation, marine renewables, sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, and spatial planning from ocean-dependent jurisdictions
Marine biomass innovation, blue bioeconomy, circular and sustainable tourism, tourism waste valorisation, algae cultivation, and integrated resource recovery, transforming ocean and land constraints into opportunities.
Digital government, workforce development, diaspora engagement, youth pathways into green jobs, participatory governance, and institutional strategies multiplying impact in small jurisdictions
Nature-based solutions, community science, ecosystem restoration, and adaptation where ocean and climate impacts demand immediate action
EU institutional funding and consortia for outermost regions and sub-national island jurisdictions, climate fund navigation, philanthropic partnerships, blended finance, local trust funds and investment-readiness for island SMEs.
Three days of high-level panels, technical deep dives, and networking—exploring how islands lead the global transition in energy, climate, nature, and circular futures.
DETAILED AGENDARegistration — ExpoMeloneras
Intermission — Walk to Baobab
On the last day of the summit, we are hosting a Forum entirely dedicated to Island Geothermal Energy, running in parallel to the main summit programme in Room 3. The main stage concludes with a closing plenary from 17:30, followed by Spanish Wine and Bites outside the auditorium until the venue closes at 19:00.
Learn moreLearn more about the inspiring leaders, experts, and visionaries who will share their insights at the Global Sustainable Islands Summit 2026.
Speaker Nomination Form
Minister of Public Infrastructure, Energy and Utilities, Domestic Transport, Information, Communication and Technology and Posts
Government of St Kitts and Nevis
Minister for Health, Environment & Sustainability
Cayman Islands Government
Director General
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans
European Commission
Minister of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change
Government of Mauritius
Executive Director
Development Bank for Resilient Prosperity (DBRP)
Co-Founder & CTO
BlueGea Group
Professor of Sociology & Editor, Small States & Territories
University of Malta
Executive Director
CCREEE
We are grateful to every partner who supported GSIS 2026 in Gran Canaria. If you would like to explore sponsorship or collaboration for future Island Innovation events, we would love to hear from you.
Looking ahead, add your name to the GSIS 2027 interest list for updates before registration opens.
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Common questions about the 2026 summit (archived)
The Global Sustainable Islands Summit 2026 (GSIS 2026) was an in-person event series in Gran Canaria dedicated to advancing sustainable development on islands worldwide. It brought together professionals, researchers, policymakers, industry leaders, and students to share knowledge and solutions for island communities.
The Summit took place in Gran Canaria, at the ExpoMeloneras conference center, from April 20-22, 2026. Alongside the main conference, the Geothermal Energy Forum was held on April 22, the last day of the Summit.
No. GSIS 2026 has ended and registration is closed. This website remains as an archive of the programme and information from the 2026 edition. For future Island Innovation events, please follow islandinnovation.co or contact bizdev@islandinnovation.co.
Group offers were made available while tickets were on sale. With the event concluded, those historical offers are no longer active. For future editions or partnerships, contact bizdev@islandinnovation.co.
We continue to support island sustainability work through consultancy, events, and partnerships. For collaboration or sponsorship in future activities, contact our business development team: bizdev@islandinnovation.co.
Our team is here to help you with any additional inquiries
info@islandinnovation.coNext edition
Save your place on the interest list to hear first about dates, location, and registration for the next global islands summit.
Register interest for GSIS 2027The 2025 Global Sustainable Islands Summit brought together over 600 participants from 50+ islands, generating powerful insights and new pathways for sustainable economic development. We thank everyone who has been part of this journey, and we invite you to revisit the highlights and breakthroughs that emerged from St. Kitts and Nevis.
Keynote presentations, our Post-Summit Magazine panel discussions, success stories, and networking highlights from islands around the world.
Go to the GSIS 2025 WebsiteStay connected with the global islands community
