We produce impactful research on multi-level governance of pressing sustainable development challenges. We look at areas like climate change, biodiversity loss, deforestation, and pollution, and offer timely advice to a range of stakeholders.

The planet is facing a crisis in climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. We are committed to supporting the development of effective and just governance systems to combat these challenges and build social-ecological resilience.

The Bath Centre for Earth System Governance (BCESG) also fosters a vibrant and inclusive global research community. Our work aims to protect planetary integrity, and train future leaders and changemakers in sustainability governance.

Research themes

We work holistically across a range of social science disciplines to improve knowledge on sustainability governance globally. These span politics, economics, public policy, and management.

Our research focuses on sustainability governance at four different levels:

• Global Governance
• National Policies and Regulations
• Local and Individual-led Initiatives
• Private Governance

We examine the dynamics between these four areas and provide actionable recommendations to stakeholders for a more sustainable future.

BCESG spotlight

Find out more about key examples of our work.

2026 Bath Conference on Earth System Governance

Our centre and the University of Bath hosted the annual global Earth System Governance conference in 2026.

Sustainability Governance of China's Global Infrastructure Investments

The BCESG led a flagship research project on sustainability governance in a changing political area.

Understanding policy changes and applying anticipatory design to improve governance for sustainable forest-risk commodities

We are part of a research and capacity-building project, funded by the UK FCDO, to strengthen sustainability governance of forest-risk commodities across global supply chains.

Our members

• Professor Yixian Sun, Director
• Dr Michael Bloomfield, Deputy Director
• Dr Sophia Hatzisavvidou, Deputy Director
• Dr Aurelie Charles, Deputy Director
• Dr Maria Garcia
• Dr Alistair Hunt
• Dr Andrei Guter-Sandu
• Dr Andrew Manley
• Dr Kostas Iatridis
• Dr Hyeyoon Park
• Dr Andreas Schaefer
• Dr Kyungbo Han
• Dr Grace Augustine
• Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh

Associate members

• Yitong Ye
• Yishu Ren
• Yuen Gu
• Jiuyang Li
• Ya Xiao
• Faisal Sharif
• Naureen Chowdhury
• Sharmaarke Abdullahi
• Joachim Schmitz
• Penny Senanarong
• Jeremy Halsey
• Rose Bevan Smith
• Zina Abdulla
• Lydia Hudson

Our partners

We work closely with the Earth System Governance Project – the world’s largest research network advancing research on global environmental change and governance – and we contribute actively to its global community.

We also collaborate with world-leading research institutions and scholars on environmental governance and sustainability transitions, including:

• National University of Singapore (Benjamin Cashore)
• Utrecht University (Frank Biermann)
• Uppsala University (Mikael Karlsson)
• University of Sydney (Susan Park)
• Fudan University (Bowen Yu)
• Manipal Academy of Higher Education (Dhanasree Jayaram)
• Fundação Getulio Vargas (Rodrigo Cezar)
• Universitas Gadjah Mada (Ahmad Maryudi, Maharani Hapsari and Randy W. Nandyatama)
• Duke University (Erika Weinthal)
• University of British Columbia (Peter Dauvergne and Juliet Lu)

Work with us

We are interested in hearing from researchers at the University of Bath, who are welcome to join us as core or associate members, and institutions across the globe whose work aligns with ours.

We are also keen to collaborate with public and private actors driving transformative change in sustainability transitions.

Please get in touch with us at ESG@bath.ac.uk

Studying with us

We welcome applications for PhD programmes in different social science disciplines under the supervision of our core members. Please refer to the PhD programmes in the relevant departments and contact potential supervisors by September in the year before their intended entry. We particularly welcome projects co-supervised across departments.