ClimBio Frontiers Database Workshop

Utrecht, 4-5 December 2024

In early December, the ClimBio Frontiers research groups hosted a Database Workshop in Utrecht, bringing together researchers and practioners among other actors to discuss, reflect, and cooperate for future climate-based governance databases. The workshop included introductions, discussions of the role of Transnational Governance Initiatives (TGIs) and data work associated with transnational climate governance and biodiversity, and meaningful dialogues to identify gaps in existing datasets and suggest new ways to integrate climate, biodiversityt, and social justice dimensions.

Team members Yitong Ye and Julian Li attended this workshop. Read more about the experience: here

SGAIN at UN Climate Change Conference in Baku, 11-22 November 2024

Over the last two weeks, the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) has taken place in Baku, bringing together world leaders, businesses, civil societies and academics to advance solutions for tackling climate change.

We are pleased to share that several members of the SGAIN project are attending the conference, including project investigator Dr Yixian Sun. As the Co-Chair of the UN-supported campaign Race to Zero's Working Group on Fair Share, Equity, and Justice, Dr Sun organised a meeting with key stakeholders and experts to discuss best practices and challenges to embed fair share, equity, and justice into net zero transitions of non-state actors. Further, he also facilitated a meeting with Chinese stakeholders and the High-Level Champions team, and moderated a side-event on the role of youth action in the Sustainable Development Goals.

Other members of our project at the conference are Dr Khalid Waleed, a negotiator for Pakistan on mitigation issues and Ubaid ur Rehman Zia, representing SDPI. Further, our advisory board members Thomas Hale, Erik Solheim and Kate Logan have also attended the conference.

Global China Workshop with REDEFINE & SGAIN

Bath, 5-6 November 2024

Over the last three decades, China has become one of the most influential players in international development through large-scale overseas infrastructure investments not only in the Global South but also Global North. How can we understand China's growing influence across the globe? What are new ways to study China’s overseas engagement in different contexts? And how can researchers inform better policies to align Chinese investments with host countries’ development needs? To explore these important questions, the SGAIN project will organise this workshop with the REDEFINE project. The two teams will meet together to share insights from their research, directions for methodological innovations and also opportunities and challenges to pursue policy impact.

International Team Meeting - 16 October 2024

On the 16th October 2024, SGAIN had its first full international team meeting online, with partners joining from the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and China.

After a round of introductions, we had a brief presentation of our planned research, discussed some key activities in the first year, and exchanged ideas and suggestions for the future of SGAIN.

Co-Host Plenary Session - Reimagining Transitions, Earth System Governance Forum 2024

As part of ESG's 2024 Forum on 'Re-imagining Earth System Governance in an Era of Polycrisis', this roundtable provided a forum for the exchange of ideas around the importance of re-imagining transitions. Focusing on the challenges and opportunities of the transition to sustainable futures, forms of knowledge that can inform and shape transitions thinking, and barriers to rethinking transitions, this session aimed to create a space where more marginalised ideas and concerns are discussed, inviting participants from different disciplinary and socio-cultural contexts.

Dr Yixian Sun spoke at this event, alongside other academics including Dr Sophia Hatzisavvidou from the University of Bath.

You can watch here the recording of the event!

Affiliation with the Earth System Governance Project

SGAIN is pleased to announce our affiliation with the Earth System Governance Project (ESG), the world's largest research network on sustainability governance. Stay tuned for updates on our shared initiatives.

Find out more about our affiliation: here

Asia Energy Transition Summit, 28-29 September 2024

The first 'Asia Energy Transition Summit', organised by the Pakistan Renewable Energy Coalition in collaboration with member organisations (Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Policy Research Institute for Equitable Development, Lahore University of Management Sciences and Renewables First) will take place in Lahore.

The summit aimed to spotlight the urgent need for regional collaboration, to effectively address energy financing, transition away from fossil fuels, and boost energy efficiency for a sustainable future.

Alongside other academics, Dr Yixian Sun took part in a panel discussion on 'China's role in accelerating energy transition finance'.

Find out more about the event: here