The Cayman Islands -- which depend heavily on tourism to fuel its economy -- have hired PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to determine which of the United Nations’ 17 sustainability goals are most relevant to the islands, according to Cayman Compass.
The sustainability contract involves the Ministry of Sustainability and Climate Resiliency, which awarded the research project to PwC. The ministry, formed in April 2021, aims to "deliver on the Government’s commitment to achieve environmental, social, and economic balance, with a view to maximise benefits across all three areas of this triple bottom line," according to the organization's LinkedIn page.
The Cayman Islands, located south of Cuba in the Caribbean Sea, spans three islands: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. The islands have roughly 80,000 residents. The local economy depends mostly on financial services and tourism. With an average income of US$71,549, Caymanians have the highest standard of living in the Caribbean, according to The World Factbook.
PwC will study the Cayman Islands, and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that United Nations Member States adopted in2015. The SDGs are part of the overall 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 17 goals recognize that "ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests," according to The United Nations.
