Overview

The conference convened over 300 global experts from 20 countries, including China, Singapore, Thailand, the UK, Spain, the USA, Australia, Ethiopia and South Sudan. The event also welcomed representatives from leading international organisations and prestigious academic journals.

The conference was opened by Professor Jiecai Han, President of Harbin Institute of Technology, who delivered a keynote address highlighting the urgency and global relevance of climate leadership.

Focused dialogue

The programme featured 15 parallel sessions exploring critical themes such as:

  • International climate cooperation
  • National and regional climate governance
  • Climate action and strategy
  • Climate risk
  • Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks

Keynote speakers

Distinguished scholars and editors from leading academic journals delivered keynote speeches, including:

  • Professor Ruben Enikolopov – Universitat Pompeu Fabra; Chair of the Board, Review of Economic Studies
  • Professor Guojun He – University of Hong Kong; Co-Editor, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management
  • Professor Jing Meng – University College London; Chief Editor, npj Environmental Social Sciences
  • Professor Kannan Govindan – University of Adelaide; Editor-in-Chief, Cleaner Logistics and Supply Chain
  • Bronwyn Wake – Chief Editor, Nature Climate Change
  • Professor Ning Zhang – Shandong University; Fellow, European Academy of Sciences and Arts

A dedicated Journal Editors Forum offered participants valuable insights into academic publishing, with editors from Advances in Climate Change Research, Nature Climate Change, npj Environmental Social Sciences, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management and Structural Change and Economic Dynamics sharing guidance on publication strategies and emerging research priorities.

International Organisations Forum

The conference also hosted an International Organisations Forum, focusing on the role of global institutions in climate governance. Representatives from United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Asian Development Bank (ADB), C40 Cities and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), engaged in dynamic discussions on policy influence, collaboration and capacity building. They also shared information on internship opportunities and long term career pathways for emerging professionals in the field.

Future vision

The conference was co-chaired by Professor Zhifu Mi (BSSC, UCL) and Professor Tao Ma (Business School, Harbin Institute of Technology). They reflected on the event’s impact:

“It has been a great honour to co-chair this conference. Effective climate leadership enables the formulation and implementation of ambitious policies, drives innovation, mobilises finance, and ensures inclusive and just transitions towards a sustainable future.”

Professor Zhifu Mi

“We plan to make this an annual event and warmly invite participants worldwide to join us for the next International Conference on Climate Leadership in July 2026. Our goal is to create a global platform for researchers to exchange ideas on climate change while fostering collaboration and dialogue among the next generation of leaders in this critical field.”

Professor Tao Ma

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