Institute for Global Sustainable Development » IGSD News (tag [Net Zero])

16 October: Warwick Sustainability Forum - a follow-up event

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 15:54:00 GMT

The Sustainability Spotlight, together with IGFSD colleagues, had a follow-up event at WBS, to hear research initiatives from sustainability champions, and to discuss how best the spotlight can support them, in the course of the year. Initiatives came from PAIS, WBS, WMG, Stats, Law, and Economics, offering such a breadth and depth of sustainability research across the university! Thank you to all who joined us on the day, and to Cher and Tanya - for such an efficient (and yummy) organisation and lunch!

3 July 2025: Warwick Sustainability Forum

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 15:00:00 GMT

In its second iteration, the Warwick Sustainability Forum (WSF) brought together a passionate community of researchers with a focus on sustainability across and beyond Warwick, to collectively plan our actions towards addressing global planetary challenges in 2025/26, and to discuss the next BIG ISSUES for the sustainability agenda, regionally, nationally and internationally. The WSF was attended by nearly 60 researchers from across all Faculties representing many disciplines, to:

To report on the Sustainability Spotlight KPIs for 2024/25 premised on Sustainability Spotlight Report 2024: Time to Talk.
To take stock of new ideas and priorities for the Sustainability Spotlight 2025/26, and identify champions to lead them
To collectively discuss the NEXT BIG ISSUES for sustainability for the UK and globally, in conversation with a higher-level roundtable.
To develop an Action Plan for 2025/26 – for finalisation in September 2025

The Sustainability Spotlights leads reported about the year's activities, challenges and achievements. Their presentations were continued with reflection and action sessions, planning 2025/26. The WSF also involved external stakeholders, including from partner universities in Uzbekistan (Akram Umarov UWED), Azerbaijan (Nargiz Ismayilova, ADA University) and India (Seema Mundoli, Azim Premji University), to shape the next year's agenda together. It concluded with a high-level roundtable, masterfully chaired by Stuart Coles (WMG), to discuss the next BIG Issues of the sustainability agenda, locally and globally. The speakers included Lord Teverson, Dr Kathryn Magnay (EPSRC), Fajli BIB (GSI), Julie Walden (E.ON), Margot James (Coventry Climate Change Board), and Muneeba Amjad (Warwick SU). Thereafter people continued their conversations and networking on a FAB terrace, enjoying beautiful weather and wine reception!

The WSF will produce a ‘From reflection to action’ report 2024/25, outline ideas for the 2025/26 Action Plan and identify champions for 2025/26 (to become new members of the Steering Group). We conclude this year's forum on a positive note, with a high appraisal from the University Review Board, and a lot of achievements to celebrate. We look forward to the next year, and thank all those who got involved with us this year - especially Sustainability Steering Group members! - Sustainability Professional Support Team - Cher Zou and Tanya Liguori - and our Facilitation team - Christine Bell and Amelia Wakeford.

For more information please visit the WSF page here.

2 July: international visit from ADA University (Azerbaijan), UWED (Uzbekistan) and Ajim Premji (India)

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 13:00:00 GMT

IGSD and the Sustainability Spotlight Steering Group hosted meetings of international partners from Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and India. Ms Nargiz Ismayilova from, Head of Partnerships from Ada University, Dr Akram Umarov, Vice-Rector of UWED and Director of the Institute of Advanced International Studies, and Dr Seema Mundoli from the Climate Change Centre and Sustainability at Azim Premji University, presented their research to the Steering Group, and discussed research projects and suitable funding opportunities with IGSD. In the afternoon they also interacted with EUTOPIA partners at lunch, and met to discuss MOUs with Prof. Michael Scott, PVC International.

4-5 June: EUTOPIA Network Studio - a great success!

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 09:50:00 GMT

Warwick hosted the Sustainability Network Studio on 3-5 June, an international event to facilitate the formation of interdisciplinary research collaborations in and around the area of Sustainability between researchers at three universities: Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) from Belgium; Technische Universitat Dresden (TUD) from Germany and the University of Warwick.

The event was organised as part of the EUTOPIA activities and under the aegis of the Sustainability Spotlight. It was led Prof. Elena Korosteleva in her capacity as Chair of the Sustainability Spotlight, and in partnership with the Sustainability Spotlight leadership team. The event was held over the three days, involving members of the Sustainability Spotlight networks. It was based around pitch presentations from each of the 23 researchers attending and consortium-building for European research funding. The event was facilitated by research support staff from each of the three institutions and is expected to lead to new research collaborations in and around the sustainability area in disciplines ranging from chemistry and engineering to political science, business and economics. From the Warwick team, it included Prof. Stuart Coles (WMG), Prof. Stefan Bon (Chemistry), Dr Fred Dahlmann (WBS), Dr Soroush Abolfani (Engineering), Dr Madeleine Fagan (PAIS), Dr Lory Barile (Economics), Dr Feng Mao (IGSD) and Dr Adela Glyn-Davies (Design).

SHAPEDEM-EU co-authors a report on carbon pricing

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 08:38:00 GMT

Dr Aijan Sharshenova, SHAPEDEM-EU Research Fellow, co-authored (with a Harvard University Research Fellow Dr Rahat Sabyrbekov) a large report on opportunities and barriers to introducing carbon pricing in the Kyrgyz Republic in Central Asia. The report employs mixed methods to estimate the possibility and the extent of difficulty to introduce such climate mitigation mechanism in a land-locked lower income country. The report is funded by the CAREC Institute's research grant and is available online at https://www.carecinstitute.org/publications/exploring-carbon-pricing-in-central-asia-new-insights-from-the-kyrgyz-republic/

NEW FUNDING opportunity: especially for ECRs!

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 10:56:23 GMT

Call for Papers - 2025 CTTN Research Grants Program: Envisioning a Greener Future: Crafting Strategic Financing Pathways for the Green Transition in CAREC Region

- submit grant application along with the draft proposal (maximum 5,000 words, excluding references).

- Successful applicants will receive grants of up to US$5,000 to expand their manuscripts into full policy research papers.

- The research grant is for nearly six months from the date of grant approval.

- Deadline is 1 April 2025; announcement of results on 15 April 2025.

https://www.carecinstitute.org/news/call-for-papers-2025-cttn-research-grants-program-envisioning-a-greener-future-crafting-strategic-financing-pathways-for-the-green-transition-in-carec-region/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIAS3xleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHTaF9fP_wRZbSgeorXgIHPnOCYhpZ8T7kZABlJ-zW0O8m0BLXdDAx4xsWA_aem_OU_8EPU7LykaZRXGMVcXvA.

IGSD at COP 29: Warwick is helping to create a resilient, equitable, and sustainable future for all.

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 10:40:00 GMT

IGSD Explores Collaboration Opportunities with New Uzbek Ambassador to UK

Mon, 20 May 2024 19:26:00 GMT

During their visit, His Excellency Ravshan Usmanov, Deputy Head of MIssion Suhrob Vaseev, and 3rd Secretary, Jasur Valiev met with Professor ELena Korosteleva, IGSD Director, to discuss opportunities for further collaboration with the Universities of Uzbekistan, and the University of World Economy and Diplomacy in particular. This was a follow-up talk after Elena's visit to the country in 2023, and fruitful discussions with a range of Universities there, as well as the Agency for Innovation and Development, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan. The delegaton, during their visit, also toured the world-class facilities offered bin Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG); discussed teacher-training and intercultural training for students and professionals with the School of Education, Learning and Communication Sciences (SELCS); and explored opportunities in hospitality education with our partners, the University College Birmingham. For more information see here: https://warwick.ac.uk/global/news/prof_stuart_croft

ECR STS 2.0 : Enhancing Research Cultures for Global Collaboration

Thu, 02 May 2024 17:40:00 GMT

The Early Career Researcher Sustainability Training School (ECR STS) Global recently concluded its second edition, marking another significant milestone in the journey towards fostering a transformative and transdisciplinary research culture at Warwick. Building on the success of ECR STS 1.0 held in June 2023, this year's event aimed to further enhance research, impact, and networking opportunities, while investing in a new generation of planet-conscious researchers dedicated to sustainable development.

ECR STS 2.0, held from 15th to 19th April 2024, expanded its reach across borders, bringing together early career researchers (ECRs) from 18 countries and 5 continents. Participants from Indonesia, the Philippines, Ghana, Nepal, Bangladesh, Turkey, South Africa, and Australia, among others. This global representation not only enriched the discussions but also highlighted the universality of the sustainability agenda. One of the hallmarks of ECR STS 2.0 was its focus on innovative training methods developed by Warwick researchers. Participants had the opportunity to engage in participatory film-making, serious games, and citizen assemblies, offering a unique and immersive learning experience.

A distinguishing feature of ECR STS 2.0 was the active involvement of IGSD Thematic Fellows and the inaugural cohort of ECRs as mentors and trainers. This mentorship model fostered collaboration, knowledge exchange, and peer learning, creating a supportive environment for professional growth and development. Additionally, partnerships with the EUTOPIA consortium and the Commonwealth Futures Climate Research Cohort, ACU, further enriched the experience, underscoring the importance of collaborative research initiatives in driving meaningful change.

ECR STS is not just a training programme; it is a catalyst for transformative action and collaboration. By convening policymakers, practitioners, and young researchers, ECR STS facilitates dialogue, knowledge sharing, and the co-creation of solutions to complex sustainability challenges. As Warwick's flagship initiative with a focus on sustainability, ECR STS is poised to become an initiative that crosses geographical boundaries and contributes to building a more sustainable future for all.

As we at IGSD reflect on the success of ECR STS 2.0, we are reminded of the collective effort and commitment towards advancing sustainable development goals. The diverse perspectives, innovative approaches, and collaborative spirit demonstrated during the training school, serve as a testament to the power of collective and relational action in addressing global challenges. Join us for STS 3.0 in 24/25!

SHAPEDEM-EU Research Fellow publishes a co-authored report on decarbonisation

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 17:35:00 GMT

SHAPEDEM-EU Research Fellow Dr Aijan Sharshenova published a co-authored report on digitalisation of infrastructure and decarbonisation in Central Asia. The report provides an overview of the ongoing digitalisation and decarbonisation efforts in the region, and analyses the challenges and opportunities of taking climate action. The report is co-authored with Dr. Rahat Sabyrbekov (Harvard University) and Dr. Burulcha Sulaimanova (OSCE Academy) and funded by CAREC Think Tanks Network.