Welcome to the Alliance, Guam!
Guam becomes third signee of a Blue Planet Climate Agreement earlier this month.
Capping an exciting week in the "Land of the Chamorro," the U.S. territory of Guam and Blue Planet Alliance officially signed a Blue Planet Climate Agreement to form a united front to tackle Guam's renewable-energy transition. Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero and BPA Founder Henk Rogers signed the Agreement during the University of Guam's annual Conference on Island Sustainability (CIS), where Rogers was the keynote speaker.
The Agreement pledges BPA's support to help Guam execute its legislated goal of transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2045. Guam follows UN Member States the Kingdom of Tonga and the Government of Tuvalu as the third Blue Planet Climate Agreement signee.
The exciting conference brought together influencers, government, thought leaders, and youth to face the most pressing issues of our time. From Governor Guerrero's leadership to stakeholders' collective wisdom, from the commitment of Guam’s utility to the perseverance of youth leaders, the conference emphasized synergy amongst regional stakeholders — and cooperation to fight climate change.
In addition to Rogers, a second keynote speaker was Julian Aguon, an environmental lawyer from Guam who works at the intersection of Indigenous rights and environmental justice. He serves as lead counsel to the Republic of Vanuatu, which is spearheading the global campaign to pursue an advisory opinion on climate change from the International Court of Justice.
Also featured was Nicole Yamase, a marine botanist who also is the first Pacific Islander and just the fourth woman (and 20th person ever) to descend to Challenger Deep, the ocean’s deepest point. She noted the rarity of her achievement, given that as of today only 27 people have descended that far, out of a population of 7.8 billion.
BPA Founder Henk Rogers (center) and Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero (3rd from right) sign Blue Planet Climate Agreement at University of Guam.
Our visit to Guam culminated in a Youth Empowerment Workshop, co-hosted by BPA and the University of Guam’s Center for Island Sustainability (UOGCIS). The gathering brought together youth from the host territory, Guam, as well as Saipan, Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Palau.
BPA and University of Guam co-hosted a Youth Empowerment Workshop in Guam.
Following a few inspirational speeches by Guam’s Lieutenant Governor Joshua Tenorio, UOG President Thomas Krise, UOGCIS Director Dr. Austin Shelton, and Rogers, the youth worked on issues surrounding climate change and solutions to address pressing issues. The workshop is very much a continuation of BPA’s commitment to working with youth, globally, to spread the message of ditching fossil fuels and helping countries and territories worldwide transition to 100% renewable energy. Stay tuned to see how some of the participating youth will become more active in that work by becoming Blue Planet Global Ambassadors.
