UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant Director Austin Shelton, Ph.D., talks about how he became interested in the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals and how it influences his work across Guam and the region in a feature by the American Leadership on the SDGs. (University of Guam)
The American Leadership on the SDGs, a United Nations initiative, has featured University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant Director Austin Shelton, Ph.D., for his work in advancing the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The American Leadership on the SDGs is a joint effort by the United Nations Foundation and the Center for Sustainable Development at the Brookings Institution. This initiative highlights the often-overlooked achievements of individuals and communities working towards critical global goals, while also equipping them with resources to amplify their impact.
“It’s an honor to be featured in American Leadership on the SDGs. There are hundreds of collective sustainability actions tracked on the Guam Green Growth Dashboard and people around the world are taking notice. I am thankful to the dozens of G3 Working Group members and partners who are accelerating local action for global impact and really making a big difference for our sustainable future,” Shelton said.
In the feature by Megan Rabbitt of the United Nations Foundation, Shelton describes how his commitment to sustainability began. Growing up, he witnessed the decline of the island’s coral reefs.
“Around the time I was in high school, I noticed that the corals just weren’t as colorful and bright anymore,” he said. “I wasn’t catching the same size and quality of fish as I used to.”
After completing his doctorate, Shelton pursued a career as a marine and environmental scientist, returning to the island to lead the UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant. He soon realized that traditional marine conservation wasn’t enough. The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offered a comprehensive framework for the interconnected challenges facing islands like Guam. Shelton emphasizes that “sustainability is key to all of the actions we need to take,” linking ocean health (SDG 14) to land use (SDG 15) and climate action (SDG 13).
The feature also described Shelton’s contribution to Guam becoming a founding member of the Local2030 Islands Network in 2019. This network provides an island-led, peer-to-peer platform to advance SDG progress, which eventually led to the launch of Guam Green Growth, or G3. According to Shelton, G3 was inspired by the work done by Hawaiʻi Green Growth.
G3 has spearheaded numerous sustainability projects, Shelton mentioned in the feature that he is particularly proud of their work on strengthening the circular economy and establishing Guam as a makerspace and innovation hub. The feature also mentioned G3’s investment in the next generation through the Conservation Corps program, training participants in various fields from agriculture to renewable energy.
Furthermore, the feature detailed how G3’s success has led to the launch of similar initiatives in Palau and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Marshall Islands are also slated to launch their program in this month.
“This recognition is important for Guam and other territories who are striving for sustainability against unique challenges, as it validates our efforts and amplifies our voice on a broader stage,” he added.
For more information on Guam Green Growth and the SDG work on Guam visit guamgreengrowth.org today.
