Submitted By: Dr Janice Daniel-Hodge
Editor’s Note: This article was submitted as a response to a podcast conversation with Mark Brantley published on September 10, 2025.
Premier Brantley stated that the idea of sustainability is at the heart of all that we do in Nevis; this is indeed an accurate statement. Nevis is a 36-square-mile island with a population of just around 13,000 residents. Together with its sister island of St. Kitts, it forms the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
On August 11th 2025, the government of St. Kitts and Nevis enacted the Special Sustainability Zones Authorization Act, 2025 (SSZ legislation), in an attempt to twin economic impact with sustainability to grow and diversify the country’s economy.
The strength of the legislation to mandate sustainability is supposed to be in the “Conditions precedent to Development Agreements” referred to by Premier Brantley as legislative preconditions that must be satisfied .
A quick review of the SSZ legislation would reveal that there is no requirement for Environmental Impact Assessments, nor measures to protect heritage sites included in the legislative preconditions. Requirements for Environmental Impact Assessments “may” be included in the Development Agreement. Even more alarming is the fact that there are no regulations developed under the SSZ legislation, and as such, aside from the very vague legislative framework, the Development Agreement is the only mechanism by which any enforcement measure may occur.
The SSZ legislation does not limit the amount of land that may be pursued by Zone Developers, and Nevisians are concerned that their small and finite land mass may be exploited by greedy developers and greedy politicians.
The SSZ legislation allows Zone Developers to assume powers that heretofore were reserved for government authorities. The legislation also allows Zone Developers to be exempt from certain laws of the country, and instead, they can create Zone Laws and a Zone Governance system for a sustainability zone.
The SSZ legislation was passed in the national assembly without any public consultation on August 11, 2025. Interestingly, a mere two weeks after the legislation was passed (August 25, 2025), Premier Brantley announced that he received a proposal for the establishment of a Special Sustainability Zone on Nevis’ southern side. The proposal was submitted by Mr Olivier Janssens, who has expressed his desire to establish the world’s first libertarian country.
Based on the scale of the proposed SSZ to occupy up to 2,400 acres and to accommodate up to 10,000 new residents, the proposal is not well-received by the Nevisian public. Numerous concerns, with regard to deception, lack of transparency, conflicts of sustainability, food security, housing security, environmental integrity and loss of cultural identity, have been raised. The Nevis Reformation Party, the major opposition party in Nevis, has been leading the charge to inform the masses about the adverse consequences of moving forward with the proposed development and has called for the repeal of the SSZ legislation. The calls are now escalating from all sectors of the community.
In a Press Release dated October 27th, 2025, the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society, the island’s leading organization dedicated to the preservation of its natural and historical legacy, wrote: “progress on this project should not proceed without adequate research, independent environmental and social impact assessments, and honest, meaningful public consultation.”
The Press Release concluded by stating that “Nevis’ progress should be founded on an approach that safeguards both its environment and its history; these must not be sacrificed for short-term gain.”
Premier Brantley should understand that sustainability and survivability go hand in hand for a small island such as Nevis. We have no time to waste on greenwashing ideas. We must take serious action towards sustainability, now, as our very existence is dependent upon it.
About Dr Janice Damiel-Hodge:
Dr Janice Daniel-Hodge is an environmental professional. She earned a Bachelor of Science from St. Francis College in New York in 1985, followed by a Master of Science from Alabama A&M University in Normal, Alabama in 1987. In 2019, she earned the title Doctor of Philosophy in “Change Leadership for Innovation and Change” from the University of the Virgin Islands, with her dissertation entitled “Establishing a link between Creativity and Environmental Stewardship in Small Island Developing States”.
Janice Daniel-Hodge is the Founder and Managing Director of the Nevis-based consulting firm Caribbean Development and Environmental Consultants, Inc. Prior to that, she had a distinguished career as Director of the USVI Coastal Zone Management Program, where she was responsible for coordinating efforts to establish the first territorial marine park in the US Virgin Islands.
Her political career started in 2020 when she became the first woman to be elected leader of a major political party in St. Kitts and Nevis. Since then, she has been serving as the political leader of the Nevis Reformation Party, the party co-founded by her late father, the Right Excellent Dr Sir Simeon Daniel. In 2022, she contested the local elections for the first time and won in her home constituency of St. James’. She is currently an opposition member in the Nevis Island Assembly.
Dr Janice Daniel-Hodge is held in high regard for her work in sustainability in SIDS. In St. Kitts and Nevis, she coordinated efforts to establish a National Protected Area Trust Fund, as well as to help designate the St. Kitts and Nevis Marine Management Area. Her firm has worked closely with government and NGO’s, and has coordinated major environmental projects and Environmental Impact Assessments over the years. Janice Daniel-Hodge continues to play a critical role in helping to shape her country’s pathway to sustainability, through community empowerment, policy guidance and advocacy for the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
We welcome your thoughts! If you have any questions or reflections on the podcast, we’d love to hear from you. Feel free to write to us at larra@globalindiannetwork.com and join the conversation.
