Call for Papers

Conference Theme

State Capacity, Private Finance, and Inclusive Climate Governance

Conference Overview

Across the world, governments, private actors, and civil society are confronting the profound challenge of transforming economic systems, financing low-carbon transitions, and building institutions capable of steering change toward equity, resilience, and sustainability. The urgency of the climate crisis demands not only technological innovation but also institutional renewal and new forms of financial cooperation that link global objectives with local realities. Yet despite ambitious international commitments, governance frameworks and financing mechanisms often remain fragmented, overly centralized, or misaligned with the priorities of those most affected by environmental degradation and climate-induced vulnerabilities.

The Sustainability, Innovation and Governance for Society (SiGS) conference serves as a global platform bridging research, policy, and practice—bringing together diverse perspectives to co-create actionable knowledge. It fosters collaboration among scholars, policymakers, investors, and community leaders to reimagine the architecture of sustainable transformation. The 2026 edition of SiGS, themed “State Capacity, Private Finance, and Inclusive Climate Governance,” calls for a bold rethinking of how climate action is structured, financed, and governed to deliver outcomes that are not only effective but also just, inclusive, and enduring.

  • Strengthen institutional capacity to design and implement effective, adaptive climate policies
  • Restrategize climate finance to align investment with inclusive development priorities
  • Embed justice and participation at the core of climate governance frameworks.

Submission Types

We accept submissions of conceptual, empirical, and review papers, as well as case studies and posters, that address any of the following eight conference tracks:

Conference Tracks

Track 1
Public–Private Partnerships for Climate Action and Sustainability
Explores innovative partnerships between governments, businesses, and communities to accelerate low-carbon transitions, leverage shared resources, and align market incentives with long-term sustainability objectives.
Track 2
Restructuring Climate Finance for a Sustainable Future
Examines how global financial systems can be redesigned to mobilize equitable, transparent, and resilient investment flows that align private capital with inclusive and sustainable development goals.
Track 3
Modern Slavery, the Global South, and the Climate Crisis
Investigates how environmental degradation, displacement, and economic precarity exacerbate forced labor and modern slavery risks, emphasizing governance reforms and justice-driven sustainability transitions in vulnerable regions.
Track 4
SMEs, Family Businesses, and the Circular Economy
Highlights the pivotal role of small and family-owned enterprises in advancing circular economy models, fostering local innovation, and embedding sustainability across production and consumption systems.
Track 5
Reclaiming Climate Governance in the Global South
Interrogates the political economy of climate governance, advocating for greater autonomy, voice, and knowledge sovereignty of Global South actors in shaping equitable global climate architectures.
Track 6
Fiscal Policy and Innovations for Climate Action and Sustainability
Analyzes fiscal instruments—taxation, subsidies, green budgeting, and debt swaps—as tools for steering economies toward low-carbon pathways and financing inclusive, sustainable structural transformations.
Track 7
National Development Strategies and Climate Finance Readiness
Assesses how states integrate climate objectives into national planning, strengthen institutional capacity, and enhance readiness to attract, absorb, and govern climate finance effectively and transparently.
Track 8
Inclusive Global Climate Governance and Agency
Explores participatory and multilevel governance arrangements that empower marginalized communities, amplify developing-country agency, and democratize decision-making in international climate negotiations and policy processes.
Track 9
Operationalising Justice and Equity in Climate Governance
Focuses on translating climate justice principles into measurable governance practices, addressing intergenerational equity, social protection, and the fair distribution of climate finance and adaptation benefits.

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