On September 10^th, the 2026 ‘Climate x’ Leadership Training Program, hosted by the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate, successfully held a live session on Global Climate Governance, focusing on its effectiveness in evolution.

Howard Bamsey is an Honorary Professor in the School of Regulation and Global Governance at The Australian National University. He is a member of the boards of the Climate Policy Initiative and Climate Works Centre and a Special Adviser to the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development. He was previously Chair of the Global Water Partnership, Executive Director at the Green Climate Fund and Director General of the Global Green Growth Institute. He has served as Special Adviser on Sustainable Development to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Special Adviser on Green Growth to AusAID. Earlier he was Australia’s Special Envoy on Climate Change, a Deputy Secretary in the Australian Public Service and CEO of the Australian Greenhouse Office. He held several appointments at ambassadorial level in the Australian foreign service.

During the lecture, Prof. Bamsey explained that climate change has shifted from being viewed as an environmental issue to an economic challenge requiring universal participation. He traced key milestones, including the establishment of the IPCC in 1988, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992, and the 2015 Paris Agreement, highlighting the transition from top-down approaches to bottom-up nationally determined contributions. He noted that current climate governance remains inadequate, with $2 trillion in annual climate investment and 80% of it from domestic, still falling short of targets, despite China's leadership in climate investment. He emphasized that the 1.5°C warming target has already been overshot and proposed greater regional focus and improved geoengineering governance as potential ways forward.

The 2026 Climate x Leadership Training Program, hosted by the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate (GAUC), and strategically supported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and GAUC's global partners, aims to empower youth with the knowledge, skills, and tools to become the climate leaders of tomorrow. The program inspires participants to envision a sustainable future, take meaningful action, and unlock their potential as leaders for a carbon-neutral future.

Enter the next week, the ‘Climate x’ Leadership Training program will bring two lectures focusing on Climate x Food. The first lecture, scheduled at September 15th, will be delivered by Prof. Jenna Lawrence from Columbia University.

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