In a press conference upon his return, Premier Wheatley was asked to indicate any major successes he might have accomplished apart from an opportunity for continued discussions with Overseas Territories Minister, Lord Zac Goldsmith.

“I would say a major achievement has to do with that memorandum with Southampton. And that’s major. It has benefits for our students. It also has benefits for the research that we want to take place here in the Virgin Islands,” Dr Whealtey said.

In the meantime, Premier Wheatley also counted a meeting held with the UK’s National Oceanographic Center as a triumph, describing it as “amazing”.

“We will soon be presented with the data from the environmental mapping. And that has huge implications for us,” he stated.

“I’m not sure how familiar persons in the Virgin Islands are with carbon markets, but carbon markets basically essentially, we have carbon emissions in the world and there are companies who want to be able to offset their carbon emissions,” Dr Wheatley explained.

Premier Wheatley further explained that these endeavours have an economic value. “And so they’re willing to fund projects that will help to preserve [the] environment and do other types of environmental projects.”

He noted that while some may see the economic value in cutting down the Amazon rainforest, there is now a structure where persons can recognise the economic value of preserving the Amazon and actually pay money to the government to preserve it instead of cutting it down.

He said the BVI also has economic assets such as coral reefs and sea grass

“We have the biodiversity beneath the sea. All of those things have an economic value. And when you map those assets you have the opportunity to approach companies, like a Microsoft or Google and say, this is a project that you can help us with. And this can help us to to offset your your own carbon emissions,” the Premier said.