We wish to thank the Open Society Foundations for their generous support for this important virtual meeting space for partnership and action on climate change. The UWI remains committed to providing education for sustainable development, spotlighting climate justice within the context of action through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2030 in general. Our overarching goal is to increase climate literacy across a diverse group of persons at all levels of society, within all disciplines and vocations. Knowledge supports activism. Our hope therefore is to increase participation in the discourse on climate justice and the related topic of financing climate action in SIDS, thereby increasing action and activism for sustainable development.

It is with the stated objective in mind that The UWI has created this Climate Justice/Education hub. This virtual platform will widen the sharing of information on climate change beyond the lecture rooms, to include our communities across the region, to other SIDS and indeed to engage with similar networks and hubs across the globe. Sustainable development is a global agenda that calls for dialogue without borders and activism at all levels of society. The hub is designed to encourage networking among various stakeholders through continuous dialogue, collaboration, interaction and peer learning to increase climate action and sustainability. This virtual space is a platform to facilitate the engagement of persons of all ages and backgrounds. Moreover, because we at The UWI understand the significant role that the youth, persons with disabilities and differing capabilities have to play in shaping our society and informing change, we have designed the hub to utilise various audio and visual applications to cater to diverse learning styles and to be accessible. The aim of this virtual space therefore is also to make information accessible to as many people as possible in order to encourage the pursuit of sustainable lifestyles across various demographics.

Finally and most importantly, applying a core principle from the UN’s Agenda 2030 - “leaving no one behind”- The UWI, cognisant of the limitations and inaccessibility of technology in some areas, has incorporated outreach mechanisms to transfer information to and engage with persons who may be unable to obtain and/or maintain connection to the virtual space. Ultimately, the intention of The UWI is to create a positive mental and societal shift in how all of our citizens think about and do our part to achieve global sustainable development.