ESI receives sustainability observer status
ESI attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Germany in March 2014 to discuss issues of renewable energy and energy efficiency
NUS, through the Energy Studies Institute (ESI), has become the sixth organisation and only university from Singapore to be admitted as a Research and Independent Non-Governmental Observer Organization (RINGO) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This development is testament to the University's standing commitment to environmental sustainability.
The "observer status will allow NUS to attend UNFCCC sessions and participate in related activities; sharing and receiving information through discussions with like-minded interest groups, thus further assisting the Singapore government in its efforts to address climate change and environmental sustainability.
Members of the RINGO constituency produce peer-reviewed journals, policy briefs and working papers that draw on insights from economics, international relations, public policy, physical sciences and engineering that will help inform the international community.
"Becoming an observer with the UNFCCC is an excellent opportunity for the NUS community to be ‘plugged in' to the international network of like-minded researchers involved in similar climate change mitigation and adaptation policy analysis and research and development, said Professor Chou Siaw Kiang, Executive Director of ESI. ESI is the official channel for the exchange of information with the UNFCCC secretariat.
ESI has considerable experience participating in climate negotiations. Last December, it attended the Lima Climate Conference which saw discussions on policy and technological solutions to address both the causes and consequences of global climate change. In 2015, it plans to raise awareness and share UNFCCC negotiations by holding a series of workshops on mitigation and adaptation technologies, international and comparative law, as well as policies needed to address climate change at the national and international level. It also intends to actively engage the UNFCCC by providing diverse and valuable input on climate change matters.
In another timely accomplishment, ESI has made it to the top 10 list in the University of Pennsylvania's annual Global Go To Think Tank Index. The Index ranks the world's leading energy and resource policy think tanks in a variety of categories, such as the quality and commitment of the think tank's leadership and staff; its reputation and reach of the research, analysis and publications produced; and the impact of a think tank's programmes on policymakers and society. The ranking is achieved with the help of a panel of over 1,900 peer institutions from a wide variety of backgrounds and disciplines.
See the full list of new observer organisations to the UNFCCC.
See the full list of Top Energy and Resource Policy Think Tanks in 2014.
