We asked Tom to share some insight into his participation in the fifth annual Global Sustainable Development Congress, convened by Times Higher Education. This year held in Jakarta, Indonesia from 22–25 June 2026.
Why are you taking on the role of host for the environment track, and what are you most looking forward to at the event?
GSDC builds a space where universities and the knowledge community can connect across sectors for new perspectives on the most important questions. It’s a privilege to join those conversations as track host. Southeast Asia is a leading region for embedding sustainability into education, business and development, and I’m looking forward to engaging with leaders and experts from across the region and the world around the shared mission of stewarding our natural environment and the resources we all rely on.
Why is collective action so important when considering how we can restore the balance between people and planet?
Earth provides the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat and everything we use each day. So securing a healthy environment is not just for nature’s benefit, our own prosperity depends on it! No one can do this alone because enabling us all to flourish within the planet’s finite resources is both complex and huge in scale. Universities help us understand the problems and explore solutions, but all sectors in our economy are partners in making these work in the real world to secure a sustainable and resilient future.
What are some key highlights delegates can look forward to as part of the environment track in 2026?
One of the things that makes GSDC so exciting is that it brings together universities and experts with practitioners in business, government, finance and civil society. This is about building real impact links, and together finding ways to move through what could work to what has worked and what really works. Key topics in the environment track this year will include:
- how emerging technologies and nature-based solutions can support sustainable agriculture, food security and conservation of flourishing ecosystems
- how equality strengthens stewardship of nature, drawing the crucial link between human development and environmental sustainability
- how academic institutions and industry are developing circular and low-impact economic models through innovation partnerships, knowledge sharing and capacity building.
The Environment track will conclude with an interactive workshop tying all these themes together for our forward agenda.
From your experience speaking at the congress in the past, what three words would you use to describe it?
How can universities get involved?
This is an exciting opportunity for universities thinking about their impacts in the world. Over four days, 5,000+ global leaders from 60+ countries will share ideas, build partnerships and explore how collaboration and innovation can drive real impact.
Find out more about the event, and secure discounted tickets today: SUMS Consulting Global Sustainable Development Congress
