University of Bath researcher Dr Yixian Sun has been appointed to the Academic Advisory Council (AAC) of the United Nations Forum of Sustainability Standards (UNFSS), helping to shape how global sustainability standards support trade, development and environmental outcomes.
As sustainability standards increasingly influence how goods are produced, sourced and traded worldwide, governments and businesses face growing challenges in navigating a complex and rapidly evolving landscape.
“This appointment will allow me to better engage with UN agencies to help them understand the role of voluntary sustainability standards in the changing global economy,” says Dr Sun. “As part of the AAC, I can help develop suitable measures to promote sustainable development and trade across the globe.”
Voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) – the frameworks that define how products are produced and certified across global supply chains – are playing an ever greater role in trade policy, regulation and development strategies. The UNFSS supports governments, particularly in developing countries, to understand and respond to these changes, ensuring standards contribute to meaningful environmental and social outcomes.
Strengthening the evidence base
To support this work, UNFSS has expanded its Academic Advisory Council, bringing together leading scholars from across disciplines and regions to provide independent, policy-relevant research.
“Because I have worked on the topic of voluntary sustainability standards for a very long time, this is a community I'm quite familiar with and I'm glad to be joining the group,” says Dr Sun.
The Council examines how sustainability standards are designed, implemented and assessed in practice, as well as how they can better deliver impact.
Dr Sun is particularly interested in addressing one of the field’s most pressing challenges: the rapid growth and complexity of sustainability standards.
“Today, stakeholders along global value chains can hardly understand different production and sourcing standards due to the proliferation of VSS over the past 20 years,” he says.
“There is therefore an urgent need to develop a robust system to compare different VSS and their relevance to public regulations across the globe. UNFSS provides a platform to develop such a system.”
He hopes to support UN organisations including the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in developing improved ways to benchmark and align standards internationally.
International leadership and collaboration
Dr Sun joins an internationally distinguished group of academics from institutions including the University of Basel, Wageningen University, the University of Melbourne, the University of Warwick, FGV School of International Relations and the University of Münster.
The Academic Advisory Council meets regularly, with the next in-person gathering scheduled for October 2026 in Leuven. Dr Sun is also keen to host a future meeting in Bath.
Strengthening Bath’s global impact
His appointment reflects his research leadership in sustainability governance and the growing influence of the University of Bath in shaping global debates beyond academia.
“At the University of Bath, we have a group of social science scholars working on sustainability standards across the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences and the School of Management,” says Dr Sun.
“I believe this appointment will help Bath strengthen this research area, make meaningful contributions to global climate governance, and further develop a vibrant research community on this topic.”