IE SPEGA x RAIA Summer Research Program 2024
This page displays six climate leaders (?!) that students from IE University’s School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs have researched under RAIA supervision and with RAIA’s methodology ahead of the COP29. This is the third year we have conducted this research program fully financed by our partners from IE University.
Each profile is divided into introduction, their Stake, their defining moment, their solutions, their impact and conclusion. “Their stake” analyses the key environmental challenges and issues a leader faces, “their defining moment” highlights the key moments that are pivotal to a leader becoming a climate leader, “their solutions” examines the policies and initiatives a leader provides and “their impact” analyses how effective a leader implements the proposed solutions and how impactful they are. In the end, the students answer the questions whether the leaders qualify as a climate leader and if so, into what category of climate leadership they fall.
Sonam Phuntsho Wangdi is the Secretary of the National Environment Commission for the Royal Government of Bhutan, one of the eight carbon neutral countries in the world. Under Wangdi’s tenure, Bhutan has taken a step further to become the first carbon negative country, offsetting about four times its carbon dioxide emissions.
To find out more read Sophia Rathleff & Maria de la Paz Gonzalez‘s report:
This section explores the climatic challenges Bhutan is facing. Bhutan remains highly vulnerable to the increasing rate of natural disasters caused by climate change. This vulnerability stems from both natural causes and the lack of sufficient infrastructure preparedness in the country, which amplifies the impact of these events and creates further challenges.
In the pursuit of transformational leader development, it is of great value to reflect on specific moments in life that illustrate the essence of who Wangdi aspires to be as a leader. This reflection is captured by the Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation (BTFEC), established in 1991, which emphasizes sustainable practices in leadership.
Wangdi’s most impactful solution regarding international involvement is the National Environment Strategy of 2020, followed by the Second Nationally Determined Contribution of 2021, and concluded with the First National Adaptation Plan of 2023. These strategic plans demonstrate a clear commitment to addressing climate challenges.
Throughout Wangdi’s leadership, Bhutan has taken the role of an example of efficient climate action. Additionally, he arguably helped modernize international climate policy, as there has been a noticeable reversal of roles in global climate policy, with Bhutan now setting standards for other nations to follow through the the Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation.
Hage Geingob was born on the third of August 1941, and passed away on the 24th of February 2024. He was the Third President of the Republic of Namibia from 2015 until his death in February 2024. can be classified as a climate leader who is mainly driven by his state’s development. His climate policies were motivated by attracting foreign direct investment to Namibia.
To find out more read Clara Chikuse & Maja Prokopiuk’s report:
Hage Geingob prioritized addressing Namibia’s environmental challenges, advocating for foreign investment and international support to combat climate change’s effects on the country. He called for financial aid through the Paris Agreement to help Namibia and other African nations mitigate these impacts.
Hage Geingob’s experience in Namibia’s early state-building motivated his focus on development and climate action as essential for progress. His key role in drafting Namibia’s 2011 Climate Change Policy and earlier environmental legislation highlights his commitment to using climate policy as a tool for attracting foreign investment and fostering sustainable growth.
Hage Geingob’s 2011 National Climate Change Policy focused on addressing Namibia’s water insecurity, agriculture resilience, and food security through sustainable resource management. His leadership in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and NAMA initiatives further aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, develop renewable energy, and secure foreign funding to support Namibia’s socio-economic growth and climate resilience.
Hage Geingob’s climate policies led to notable progress in renewable energy expansion, job creation, and land conservation, though their broad scope and reliance on foreign funding posed challenges. Despite successes like the green hydrogen project, conflicting actions such as continued oil extraction and difficulties in reducing emissions raised concerns about long-term effectiveness.