The president of Palau making his way to guam recently to take part in the University of Guam’s 15th Conference on Island Sustainability. The 6-day conference bringing together local and regional leaders throughout this week to dive into critical topics like climate change and renewable energy all for a more resilient future.

"Sustainability is in our DNA and we have to do our part," said Surangel Whipps, Jr., speaking with KUAM after his keynote speech. "Just coming and listening to all the efforts that Guam is taking in every space– I mean sustainability is not just about the environment. It’s about health, education and building an economy that’s thriving and impactful but of course doesn’t destroy your environment."

All week long, the conference bringing together local and regional leaders to dive into critical issues and solutions like climate change and renewable energy. "One of the initiatives that Guam is taking is the Guam Green Growth. We really appreciate what Guam has done to help create the Palau dashboard," he added.

Whipps says working hand-in-hand with Guam has allowed Palau to launch their own green growth initiative earlier this year. He explained, "That initiative is so important. It’s about holding leaders accountable but also helping the public understand their role. How when you have that dashboard you can see your progress and your regression."

He also shares how sustainability is woven into their very fabric of being, saying, "One of the things we always talk about in Palau is our practice of the bul. Bul is really a management practice that chiefs in Palau would get together and say we need to stop the harvesting of this type of fish and we need to close off this part of the reef as they’re overfished and over abused. We need to allow it to rejuvenate and get healthy so we can continue to use it."

He adds it’s maintaining traditions like bul that have allowed Palau to thrive and flourish for thousands of years. "To live sustainably so that we can ensure that what we’ve inherited is passed on to our children better than we received it," he said.