World leaders to speak at the Global School of Sustainability Forum 2026
The President of the Republic of Singapore, Tharman Shanmugaratnam; Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations; Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition; Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Former Minister of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia; and Former US Secretary of State, John Kerry are to speak at public events as part of the inaugural Global School of Sustainability Forum 2026: challenges and solutions for a sustainable future (GSoS Forum 2026).
The GSoS Forum 2026 is taking place on Thursday 18 – Friday 19 June. It will also feature a public event with multi-Platinum musician, sustainability educator and advocate, Adam Met of the band AJR, and interventions from THE HERDS, a ground-breaking work of public art to inspire action and renew our bond with the natural world.
These remarkable public events, which are free to attend for all participants, will be produced alongside the GSoS Forum 2026 delegate sessions. Delegate sessions will feature in-depth discussion, research presentations, policy engagement and agenda setting, convening delegates from across academia, the public and private sectors for effective dialogue in the days leading up to London Climate Action Week (LCAW) 2026.
Members of the wider LSE community and the general public are warmly invited to engage with the GSoS Forum 2026 through the following event sessions:
- Key challenges to sustainability: global, regional and national perspectives
Thursday 18 June, 9.30am - 12pm, LSE campus and online
Speakers: President of the Republic of Singapore, Tharman Shanmugaratnam; Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations; Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition; Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Former Minister of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia; GSoS Co-Founders, Professor Lord Nicholas Stern and Mr Lei Zhang, Envision CEO
Chair: Sir Andrew Steer, GSoS Professor in Practice - The artist formerly known as climate change
Thursday 18 June, 5.30pm - 6.30pm, LSE campus and online
Speaker: Dr Adam Met, climate advocate, educator and member of the multiplatinum band AJR
Chair: Dr Ganga Shreedar, LSE Assistant Professor of Behavioural Science - THE HERDS at LSE
Friday 19 June 2026 12.30pm - 1pm, LSE campus - Global sustainability: in conversation with John Kerry
Friday 19 June 2026 6pm - 7.30pm, LSE campus and online
Speaker: John Kerry, Former US Secretary of State
Chair: Larry Kramer, President and Vice Chancellor of LSE
Professor Jonathan Pershing, Professor in Practice and Dean of the Global School of Sustainability at LSE said of the announcement: “I am honoured to welcome a lineup of greatly esteemed guests to the Global School of Sustainability Forum 2026, both our speakers and delegates, who will join us to explore the challenges and solutions for a sustainable future.
“Our mission at GSoS is to shape a sustainable world that is resilient, prosperous and inclusive. From global thought leaders, private and public sector agenda-setters to our LSE community and the general public, our Global School of Sustainability Forum 2026 this June is driving dialogue and framing opportunities for true and lasting impact.”
Professor Lord Nicholas Stern, Co-founder and Chair of the Global School of Sustainability at LSE said: “Every time we look at the science, it looks worse, and every time we look at the technology, it looks better. Strong climate action in the coming two decades is both an imperative and an opportunity. The most difficult challenges lie in economics, politics, and society. I am delighted that GSoS and LSE can draw on the very distinguished, intellectual, and academic network of those who are making a difference, practically and intellectually, on the international stage. This is par excellence a global problem. LSE is the most international of universities, GSoS is truly global and can advance frontiers both in intellectual enquiry and changing the world.”