Guernsey Press

Guernsey has chance to lead the way again

GUERNSEY has been enjoying a higher profile nationally and internationally in recent weeks. And it’s been for all the right reasons.

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The spark has been the island’s response to the Covid-19 health crisis.

The visible leadership of Deputy Gavin St Pier, director of Public Health Dr Nicola Brink and Deputy Heidi Soulsby has been hailed – along with the community buy-in – as Guernsey got to grips with controlling Covid-19.

There has also been an increase in people expressing an interest in moving to the Bailiwick, as they see what we have done in contrast to other places as the pandemic has struck.

That can be seen as a vote of confidence in the island’s granite stability and strength in the face of adversity.

Now Guernsey has another opportunity to take the international stage. This time focusing on how we are helping combat climate change through our finance sector.

Our financial services companies, regulators and industry bodies and groups have already been making green waves with a number of initiatives and innovations.

This week, the island’s green finance initiative is hosting a Sustainable Finance Week. There will be online webinars and podcasts, plus a full fringe programme put on by Guernsey-based firms and associations.

A series of industry big-hitters from the UK, Switzerland and Guernsey will be taking part.

Not only is it timely as nations look at how to fund green recoveries from the pandemic, it is a platform for Guernsey to set out how we can help.

We can be hopeful that Sustainable Finance Week will further help raise the island’s profile as a green place to do business and help channel critical funding for schemes to secure a brighter future for the planet.

That in turn could help a ‘revive and thrive strategy’ to rebuild the Bailiwick’s own economy as we look to build back better from Covid-19, with the objective of developing a more sustainable and green future.