Chamberlain Emmanuel Virgin Islands Climate Change Trust -Karin Avila

Chamberlain Emmanuel is CEO of the Virgin Islands Climate Change Trust Fund, launched at the Global Sustainable Island Summit in April 2026 Karin Avila met with Chamberlain shortly after his team formally announced the launch of the Virgin Islands Climate Change Trust Fund and revealed the project logo. He shared with Karin what “creating the world’s first climate-smart island chain” means in practice, and how this Fund is designed to work differently -responding to growing urgency with a more targeted, impact-driven approach. They also discussed anticipated barriers to mobilising funding, how the Fund plans to address them, and what travellers, partners, and funders should understand about delivering real impact on the ground. Looking ahead, he highlighted priority areas for upcoming project proposals, what makes them truly impactful, and his vision for a more resilient Virgin Islands in the years to come. Photo: Karin Avila