Greening the Islands Foundation

What Greening the Islands Foundation does

Greening the Islands Foundation (GTI) is an Italian nonprofit organization (Ente del Terzo Settore) founded in 2014 and headquartered in Palermo, Sicily. The foundation focuses on advancing sustainable energy transitions and climate resilience for islands worldwide through policy advocacy, knowledge sharing, and capacity-building programs. Its core offerings include the GTI Observatory (a global knowledge platform and policy advocacy hub), the 100x100 Campaign and 100% RES Islands Initiative (advocacy for islands to achieve 100% renewable energy), the GTI Academy (training and capacity building), the Island Sustainability Index (a benchmarking framework), GTI Sofa (an interview/podcast series), and the annual GTI International Conference (10th edition held in Malta in 2025) supplemented by regional Observatory Summits.

The foundation's operations are anchored in a partnership-driven model with EU institutions, international organizations, and major funders — including the European Commission via NESOIPlus and the Interreg Euro-MED Programme (Dialogue4Tourism), the Asian Development Bank (supporting 11 Pacific Island Countries with 200MW+ of planned floating PV), and cooperation agreements with island networks INSULEUR, GLISPA, and SMILO. Named stakeholders span island governments, regional authorities, research institutes (Canary Islands Institute of Technology), and sector councils (LDES Council, signed June 2025).

GTI's revenue mechanics consist of three streams: Observatory Membership (subscription/recurring), Event Participation and Sponsorship (conference fees and exhibition packages at the International Conference and regional Summits), and Project Partnerships and Grants (EU-funded project allocations). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The foundation serves island governments and public authorities as its primary segment, alongside energy communities, island tourism stakeholders, and renewable energy technology providers. Geographic reach is explicitly global, spanning Mediterranean, Atlantic, Caribbean, Pacific, and Indian Ocean island territories.

Name

Greening the Islands Foundation

Legal name

Greening the Islands Foundation – Ente del Terzo Settore

Website

https://greeningtheislands.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Greening the Islands Foundation is an Italian nonprofit founded in 2014 that advocates and builds capacity for sustainable energy transitions on islands worldwide, operating the GTI Observatory, 100x100 Campaign, GTI Academy, and annual International Conference funded by EU grants, membership, and event sponsorship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Island Sustainability Advocacy Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation & Resilience Programs (BPAIAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA), Climate Adaptation & Resilience Programs (BPADALAD), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

Keywords

• Island sustainability
• Renewable energy transition
• Sustainability advocacy
• Energy community development
• Climate policy advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Palermo, Palermo

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Observatory Membership: The foundation offers membership to the GTI Observatory, providing access to resources, networking, and collaborative platforms for island sustainability initiatives.
2. Event Participation and Sponsorship: Revenue generated from conference fees, sponsorship packages, and exhibition opportunities at GTI International Conferences and Observatory Summits.
3. Project Partnerships and Grants: EU-funded projects such as NESOIPlus, Dialogue4Tourism, and Empowering Islands Programme provide funding and collaborative opportunities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Greening the Islands Foundation operates a knowledge and advocacy platform centered on the GTI Observatory, providing best practices, policy frameworks, and benchmarking (Island Sustainability Index) for island communities pursuing renewable energy and climate resilience. The foundation also delivers the GTI International Conference series, the GTI Academy for capacity building, the 100×100 Campaign and 100% RES Islands Initiative, and a Membership program, supported by EU-funded projects such as NESOIPlus, Dialogue4Tourism, and the Empowering Islands Programme.

Product overview

Greening the Islands Foundation is a non-profit advocacy organization focused on sustainable island development, not a traditional product company. Its offering consists of programs, platforms, and events rather than commercial software products. The core portfolio includes: the GTI Observatory (a knowledge and best-practices platform), the 100×100 Campaign and 100% RES Islands Initiative (advocacy programs for renewable energy), the GTI Academy (capacity building), the GTI International Conference series (annual flagship event), GTI Sofa (interview/podcast series), the Island Sustainability Index (measurement framework), and a Membership Platform. These programs work together to provide islands with knowledge sharing, technical advocacy, capacity building, and networking opportunities for the energy transition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GTI Observatory: An observatory initiative focused on island sustainability, including the Island Sustainability Index, Best Practices database, and Policy & Advocacy work.
• 100×100 Campaign
• 100% RES Islands Initiative
• GTI Academy
• GTI Sofa
• Knowledge Hub
• Empowering Islands Programme
• NESOIPlus

Products and services

• GTI Observatory Flagship knowledge platform providing best practices, case studies, policy advocacy, and sustainability frameworks for island communities transitioning to renewable energy and climate resilience.
• GTI Academy Educational and training platform offering capacity building programs for island stakeholders on renewable energy, sustainability, and climate resilience.
• GTI International Conference Flagship annual conference series bringing together island leaders, policymakers, and sustainability experts; the 10th edition was held in Malta in 2025.
• Island Sustainability Index Global benchmarking index under the Observatory measuring and ranking island sustainability performance across multiple dimensions.
• GTI Membership Platform Membership program allowing organizations and individuals to join the GTI Observatory network and participate in island sustainability initiatives, with access to resources, networking, and collaborative platforms.
• 100×100 Campaign Campaign promoting 100% renewable energy systems on islands worldwide, with sponsorship opportunities supporting island sustainability initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• 11 Pacific Island Countries engaged in deploying 200MW+ nearshore floating PV through ADB partnership
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• LDES Council (Long Duration Energy Storage Council)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2025The LDES Council and GTI Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote long-duration energy storage as a key component for achieving 100% renewable energy systems on islands worldwide. The partnership focuses on knowledge sharing, capacity building, and technical advocacy to support island communities in transitioning to resilient, net-zero energy models. Collaboration was formalized at the Global Renewable Alliance Lisbon Future Dialogue to accelerate LDES deployment in non-interconnected island grids.
• INSULEUR (Network of Insular Chambers of Commerce of the EU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGTI signed cooperation agreement with INSULEUR for the GTI Observatory. INSULEUR participates as member of Island Advisory Committee addressing island needs, focusing on circular economy opportunities in small islands in Europe.
• GLISPA (Global Island Partnership)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGTI signed cooperation agreement with GLISPA for the GTI Observatory, working on sustainable development partnerships and island resilience initiatives globally.
• SMILO (Small Islands Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGTI signed cooperation agreement with SMILO for the GTI Observatory, focusing on sustainable development and environmental protection for small islands worldwide.
• NESOIPlus ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNESOIPlus is a three-year EU-funded project coordinated by SINLOC, including partners Zabala Innovation Consulting, R2M Solution, Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH), RINA, and Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR). Supports Energy Community initiatives in EU Outermost Regions (Azores, Canary Islands, Martinique) with tailored technical and strategic assistance.
• Interreg Euro-MED Programme - Dialogue4Tourism (D4T)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGTI is a principal partner in the Dialogue4Tourism project, which promotes institutional dialogue and innovative policies for sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean. GTI co-leads with Regione Lazio the MED Network Sustainable Tourism Observatory (MED NSTO), bringing together observatories and organizations for data collection and management on sustainable tourism.
• Empowering Islands ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGTI organizes workshops under the Empowering Islands Programme, bringing together engineers, academics, financiers, and policymakers to address practical challenges of achieving 100% renewable energy on islands, including workshops on Solar PV and Storage.
• Asian Development Bank (ADB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough partnerships, GTI supports ADB initiatives where 11 Pacific Island Countries are planning to deploy more than 200MW of nearshore floating PV capacity, with Tuvalu tendering 1MW and planning 6MW further, and Kiribati tendering 5MW with 18MW in pipeline.
• NESOIPlus - SINLOC (Coordinator)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSINLOC coordinates the NESOIPlus project, providing technical and strategic assistance to Energy Communities in EU Outermost Regions through the NESOI One-Stop Shop digital platform.
• NESOIPlus - Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPMR is a NESOIPlus consortium partner representing peripheral maritime regions, contributing expertise on island and outermost region energy transition across Europe.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• INSULEUR (Network of Insular Chambers of Commerce of the EU): The network of EU insular chambers of commerce. Although a GTI partner, INSULEUR independently convenes EU island stakeholders around policy, energy, and circular economy topics, overlapping with GTI's European island sustainability mandate.
• Island Innovation: A media, events and community platform dedicated to island sustainability and renewable energy. Comparable to GTI as both convene global island stakeholders through conferences, thought leadership content, and digital networks targeting island governments and sustainability advocates.
• Clean Energy Islands Coalition (CEIC): A coalition advancing clean energy on islands, particularly in the U.S. Caribbean and Pacific territories. Directly comparable to GTI's mission of accelerating island renewable energy transition through stakeholder collaboration and policy advocacy.
• Global Island Partnership (GLISPA): A global partnership for island conservation and sustainable development. Although GTI is a partner of GLISPA, both organizations pursue the same mission of advancing island sustainability policy and projects and convene overlapping island government and donor constituencies.
• SMILO (Small Islands Organization): An international program focused on sustainable management of small islands. Highly comparable to GTI in targeting small island sustainability through certification frameworks, knowledge sharing, and stakeholder convening — and GTI has a formal cooperation agreement with SMILO.

Broad incumbents

• IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency): The leading intergovernmental organization for renewable energy with dedicated island and SIDS programs (e.g., ISL Renewables Initiative, SIDS Lighthouses). Operates at much greater scale than GTI in the same island renewable energy transition space.
• Carbon Trust: An independent climate nonprofit advising governments and businesses on decarbonization. Comparable business model of a climate-focused nonprofit delivering advisory, certification, and project services, though serving a much broader client base than GTI's island niche.
• Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI): A major independent energy transition nonprofit with island and Caribbean program work. Comparable as a mission-aligned nonprofit driving renewable energy transitions through research, advocacy, and project support, though operating at far greater scale and across broader geographies.
• SIDS DOCK: The official institutional link for Small Island Developing States with the global climate and sustainable energy communities. Comparable as it is dedicated specifically to SIDS energy sector transformation, though SIDS DOCK is an intergovernmental body.

Regional players

• Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI): Ireland's national sustainable energy authority with active island energy programs (e.g., Sustainable Energy Communities, Irish island energy pilots). Comparable to GTI's island sustainability remit, though a state agency serving primarily Irish/Atlantic geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/GTIslands
• Facebookfacebook.com/greeningtheislands
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/greening-the-islands-net
• Instagraminstagram.com/greeningtheislands

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Greening the Islands Foundation