Institute for Global Sustainable Development » IGSD News (tag [green futures])

Radical Imaginaries - Radical Transformations: Sustainability Spotlight workshop, 30 April 2026

Tue, 12 May 2026 08:48:43 GMT

The Radical Imaginaries-Radical Transformations (RIRT) thematic initiative, under the Sustainability Spotlight, organised the second network-building event, led by Dr Marit Hammond (PAIS), Prof. Graeme Macdonald (ECLS) and Prof. Elena Korosteleva (IGSD). It involved two panels - a 'politics'- and 'arts'-focused involving external speakers - Prof. Albena Azmanova (City), Dr Carl Death (Manchester), Dr Natalie Pollard (Exeter) and Dr Orion Maxted (VUB) - and internal speakers - Dr Nick Lawrence (ECLS), Dr Jonathan Skinner (ECLS) and Carla Washbourne (CIM). The workshop focused on the key questions around future climate and power imaginaries, to see if just and sustainable transitions are possible, and under what conditions. The workshop's aims included building a network of like-minded scholars - it was attended by over 60(!) participants - capture ideas/ways of thinking (Thank you NiftyFox!) and produce a position paper, based on roundtable discussions at the workshop (working on it!). Thank you to all who attended, and to Cher Zou, Jason Snow and Tanya Liguori for supporting this event!

THINK ROAD FORUM 2025 in Tashkent, 18-19 November 2025

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 13:31:00 GMT

https://www.iais.uz/en/eventproduct/think-road-forum-2025-rethinking-sustainable-development-in-central-asia-in-the-age-of-emerging-regionalism

Professor Korosteleva was invited to speak at the higher-level policy forum at UWED, Uzbekistan. The forum attracted both policy-makers, practitioners and academics, from the region and globally. The forum was opened by keynote speeches from H.E. Sodyq Safoev, 1st Deputy Chairman of the Senate and the Rector of UWED; by H.E. Javlon Vakhabov, Deputy Advisor to the President of Uzbekistan, and Director of the International Institute for Central Asia; and Prof. Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili, Director of the Centre for Governance and Markets, University of Pittsburgh. Elena spoke at the next panel on the Geopolitical and Security Considerations for Sustainable Development of Central Asia, where she addressed the emergence of multiorder world, and the role of Central Asia in setting the example of a sovereign vision for sustainability in the region and globally.

The forum continued over two days, and the full programme is attached.

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.

ECR STA, 30 March-5 April 2025, at Warwick's Venice Centre has been a success!

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 16:20:00 GMT

Warwick's Sustainability Training Academy (STA) in Venice (WVC) has now come to a close, but what an event it was bringing together 21 ECRs from 13 countries, to share and develop their creative skills, and engage with critical theories and interdisciplinary methods! Blue skies, organic food from Sant'Erasmo farm, and new CA'Foscari friends; amazing cookies from Chiara at WVC and loads of pasta, pizza and aperol spritz - what else you could wish for!! All of these however was made so special and possible by the whole bunch of people and we at IGSD are indebted to them - Prof Harini Nagendra, Dr Bryan Brazeau, Dr Harriet Richmond, Dr Adela Glyn-Davies, Nargiz Ismayilova, Dr Anar Valiyev, and Dr Fariz Ismailzade!

We are also immensely fortunate to gather such a fantastic group of ECRs, and we hope to keep in touch with every single one of them! We are also grateful to our former ECR @TieazaSantos from NASA Open Science, for sharing NASA learning resources with us, and to everyone who made this STA a success, including the support from Warwick's Sustainability Spotlight and COP29 Scientific Council Azerbaijan. Watch the space for 2026!

CAPTURED Horizon Scanning Workshop 1, 17 March

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 12:10:00 GMT

Professor Elena Korosteleva was invited to give a talk on 'Why we should think 'Resilience' when we talk about Green Transitions?' to the CAPTURED project organised by Warwick's Policy Lab. Elena focused on understanding the Anthropocene through the lens of a VUCA-world and complexity-thinking, and why we need to understand resilience as a way of living, relating, and managing complex life. Green transitions - whichever ways we think of them - will not happen if we 1) don't have a holistic approach; 2) don't change our thinking & behaviour; and 3) don't facilitate agential change, through nurturing resilience as political agency.

Strategic Publication of the Key Concepts for the Future of the EU, published 3 March 2025

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 10:15:00 GMT

Professor Korosteleva was invited to contribute a piece on resilience to the strategic volume of Key Concepts for the Future of the EU, published by the Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies (SIEPS), 3 March 2025. The volume came together at the request of policy-makers, and covers key themes that the EU and global leadership will work with in 2025+, including geopolitics, resilience, security, democracy etc. It offers innovative and creative perspectives, to ensure that the challenges posited by complex geopolitics and the Anthropocene, are adequately considered, going forward. It is available for a free download.

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.