🌏 Is China becoming a global leader on climate? It remains an open question, says Prof Yixian Sun @yixiansun.bsky.social, a sustainability governance expert at @uniofbath.bsky.social. Learn more in Yixian's interview with Carbon Brief. #ClimateLeadership #SustainableDevelopment #GlobalGovernance

Interview: Professor Yixian Sun on his new database tracking Chinese climate ‘leadership’

Professor Yixian Sun, a sustainability governance expert at the University of Bath, explains what his new database of China-led climate initiatives reveals about the country’s evolving intern…

blogs.bath.ac.uk

Last week, SGAIN organised a workshop "The Shifting Landscape of Global Climate Governance" in Shanghai. The workshop was co-convened by our PI, Professor @yixiansun.bsky.social Yixian Sun, and our China team lead, Professor Bowen Yu at Fudan University.

Excited to share this paper @esg-journal.bsky.social introducing our new open access CGEL Database tracking China-led international environmental governance initiatives doi.org/10.1016/j.es... We invite researchers to use our data to further examine China's rise in global environmental governance!

Earth System Governance Journal@esg-journal.bsky.social · 2mo ago

🇨🇳 New #dataset on #China's #environmental governance activities 📝 @yixiansun.bsky.social & Yitong Ye introduce the CGEL Database, covering 291 international environmental initiatives launched by Chinese actors across the world. 🔗 Read the dataset insight here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Huge thanks to all of the project team who worked hard on this database: Yitong Ye, Jiuyang Li, Ciara O’Brien, Hanchi Zhao, Ya Xiao, Freya Chant, and our PI @yixiansun.bsky.social as well as our website developer Tom Heaton.

We are also thrilled to share our dedicated website for our database cgel.sgain.org. Here, you can explore our database through interactive visualisation tools and stay updated on our work.

CGEL Database — China's Global Environmental Leadership

The most comprehensive database of cross-border environmental governance initiatives led by Chinese state and non-state actors.

cgel.sgain.org

The full dataset and our codebook (CGEL Version 1.0) are available for download from the University of Bath Data Repository doi.org/10.15125/BAT....

Our new paper highlighting key insights from the CGEL Database in the Earth System Governance Journal, reveals that while central government agencies have largely driven this expansion, a growing number of Chinese non-state actors are developing their own initiatives: doi.org/10.1016/j.es...

📊Announcing a new, cutting-edge dataset on China’s global environmental leadership. The first of its kind, China’s Global Environmental Leadership (CGEL) Database systematically collects key information on Chinese actors-led governance initiatives addressing different environmental issues.

CGEL Database — China's Global Environmental Leadership

The most comprehensive database of cross-border environmental governance initiatives led by Chinese state and non-state actors.

cgel.sgain.org

Extended early bird for the 2026 Bath Conference on Earth System Governance until 22 May Secure your tickets: www.earthsystemgovernance.org/2026-bath/re... @uniofbath.bsky.social @bath-iscc.bsky.social @yixiansun.bsky.social

Thanks again for the invite! I really enjoyed the conversation with students and colleagues at @lauchinainstitute.bsky.social and look forward to more visits in the future.

Lau China Institute, King's College London@lauchinainstitute.bsky.social · 4mo ago

We were pleased to welcome Dr @yixiansun.bsky.social last week for a discussion on the findings of his research programme @sgain.bsky.social examining China's leadership in global environmental governance.

Given current events, seems like a good time to share this excellent article on geopolitical turbulence from the 25th Anniversary Special Issue of the journal Global Environmental Politics. @yixiansun.bsky.social @jennifer-clapp.bsky.social @matpaterson.bsky.social direct.mit.edu/glep/article...

Global Environmental Politics amid Geopolitical Turbulence

Abstract. Over the past decade, three overlapping trends have fundamentally reshaped and now characterize the global geopolitical order: the rise of emerging powers, increasing military conflicts, and...

direct.mit.edu

📰 We are pleased to share that on the last day of 2025, we published our China & Global Sustainability Transition Outlook 2025 The report is open access and available to read here: researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/publicati...

China and Global Sustainability Transition Outlook 2025: China's emerging leadership in global sustainability governance amid geopolitical turbulence.

researchportal.bath.ac.uk

What do the key trends in international relations mean for the study on global environmental politics? New overview article in @gepjournal.bsky.social by crack team @yixiansun.bsky.social, @jennifer-clapp.bsky.social, @matpaterson.bsky.social et al. direct.mit.edu/glep/article...

Global Environmental Politics amid Geopolitical Turbulence

Abstract. Over the past decade, three overlapping trends have fundamentally reshaped and now characterize the global geopolitical order: the rise of emerging powers, increasing military conflicts, and...

direct.mit.edu

I was honored to write this @gepjournal.bsky.social article with a stellar group of environmental politics scholars. As we are entering a new geopolitical order, it's important to bring geopolitics fully back into the study of global environmental politics! @jennifer-clapp.bsky.social

Jennifer Clapp 🇨🇦@jennifer-clapp.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Excited this piece with excellent colleagues is now out! We examine implications of geopolitical turbulence in the world for the GEP research agenda @yixiansun.bsky.social @matpaterson.bsky.social direct.mit.edu/glep/article...

Excited this piece with excellent colleagues is now out! We examine implications of geopolitical turbulence in the world for the GEP research agenda @yixiansun.bsky.social @matpaterson.bsky.social direct.mit.edu/glep/article...

Global Environmental Politics amid Geopolitical Turbulence

Abstract. Over the past decade, three overlapping trends have fundamentally reshaped and now characterize the global geopolitical order: the rise of emerging powers, increasing military conflicts, and...

direct.mit.edu

NEW – Experts: What to expect from China on energy and climate action in 2026 | @anikanpatel.carbonbrief.org Read here: buff.ly/tz4Yyyg

Experts: What to expect from China on energy and climate action in 2026 - Carbon Brief

2026 is an important period for China’s climate policy, amid hints that its emissions could peak and as the government publishes targets for the next 5 years

buff.ly

🔔 New #OpenAccess Analysis in #JCCA Journal of Current Chinese Affairs @giga-hamburg.de @sagepub.com Harlan et al. call for new approaches to engaging China’s aspiration to become a global environmental leader, while asserting clear expectations and responsibilities. doi.org/10.1177/1868...

📽️ Our “China and Global Sustainability Transition” Conference Video Is Now Live! vimeo.com/1134543531 In June, we brought together leading experts for an international conference exploring pathways for constructive engagement with China to accelerate global sustainability transition.

SGAIN's research on China and Global Sustainability Transition

The Sustainability Governance of China's Global Infrastructure Investments (SGAIN) is a £1.7 million UKRI-funded research project led by Dr Yixian…

vimeo.com

🔔 New Policy Report - From Solar Boom to Green Industrialization: Policy Pathways to Localizing Solar Value Chains in Pakistan We are excited to share our first policy report, written in partnership with @sdpipakistan.bsky.social, available to read now: doi.org/10.15125/bat...

From Solar Boom to Green Industrialization: Policy Pathways to Localizing Solar Value Chains in Pakistan

doi.org

📊 Launch of the Earth System Governance Data Directory A living and collaborative open-access resource to help researchers and practitioners find and share existing and upcoming datasets relevant to global environmental governance. 🔗 www.earthsystemgovernance.org/news/launch-...

In late July, team member Yuen Gu conducted field research with the UGM team in Indonesia to study the impacts of large-scale renewable energy projects contracted to Chinese companies. The fieldwork focused on two flagship sites: Karawang 100MW Solar Park, and Cirata 145 MW Floating Solar Plant.

Read the article here: www.carbonbrief.org/qa-will-chin... Featuring excellent insights from @katelogan.bsky.social @jamesnorman.bsky.social @yixiansun.bsky.social and others!

Q&A: Will China and the BRICS fill the ‘leadership gap’ on climate change? - Carbon Brief

Amid a rapidly fracturing geopolitical order, there have been growing calls for China to “step into [the] leadership gap” left by the US on climate change.

carbonbrief.org

Between 15-23 August @yixiansun.bsky.social had a productive visit in South Africa. In Johannesburg, Yixian attended the Transformations Community/Earth System Governance Conference, where he presented our CGEL database, as well as a book chapter on the future of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Honored to be part of this important book on climate politics! My chapter with Wei Shen @joannalewis.bsky.social shows how China has managed conflicts for policy stability. Thanks for the leadership of Paul Tobin @matpaterson.bsky.social @stacydvandeveer.bsky.social! The whole book is open access.

Mat Paterson@matpaterson.bsky.social · 12mo ago

Paul Tobin, @stacydvandeveer.bsky.social and I are delighted to announce our new, open access, edited book ‘Stability and politicization in climate governance’. bit.ly/45Gb6RM. It is packed full of fantastic chapters about different aspects of climate politics. Here’s a short thread. 1/

I had an interesting conversation with @jfmorin.bsky.social and @cyncouette.bsky.social about their research on the governance of orbital debris. Please watch this video to find out more!

Global Environmental Politics@gepjournal.bsky.social · last yr.

📽️ New GEP Youtube video! Check out this stellar discussion between Associate Editor @yixiansun.bsky.social and GEP co-authors @jfmorin.bsky.social and @cyncouette.bsky.social on addressing the emerging #environmental problem of #spacedebris 🚀. www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzR4...

This is an exciting initiative of @esgproject.bsky.social to develop a useful resource for researchers and practitioners of environmental governance. If you have created or are creating an environmental governance-related dataset/database, please join us by sharing the info of your dataset/datsbase!

Earth System Governance Project@esgproject.bsky.social · last yr.

📣 Got an env governance dataset others should know about? We’re building the ESG Data Directory—an open resource to make datasets more visible and usable, esp. for early-career researchers. 🔗 Submit: forms.gle/8tRFuV4Ubx7L... 🔗 Become an ESG Fellow: www.earthsystemgovernance.org/apply-to-bec...

We argue that China's transition will hit a wall unless it 1) makes a serious plan for a just transition domestically, 2) has a more effective long-term strategy for how to operate as an electro superpower

China's astounding ability to build and deploy renewables, batteries, and EVs is perhaps the brightest spark in the global fight against climate change. But @yixiansun.bsky.social and I ask what would it really take for China to lead www.globalpolicyjournal.com/blog/02/07/2...

The Bath Conference on China & Global Sustainability Transition is underway. Hosted by the University, the conference brings over 60 experts from more than 15 countries to explore how China can play a pivotal role in addressing the global sustainability transition. bit.ly/4kM0zdU

World leading experts from across the globe discuss role of China in #sustainability #governance. Led by @yixiansun.bsky.social, and co-organised by @bath-iscc.bsky.social and ‪@dialogueearth.bsky.social‬, the aim is to identify pathways for engaging #China in a global sustainability transition.

The University of Bath@uniofbath.bsky.social · last yr.

The Bath Conference on China & Global Sustainability Transition is underway. Hosted by the University, the conference brings over 60 experts from more than 15 countries to explore how China can play a pivotal role in addressing the global sustainability transition. bit.ly/4kM0zdU