It has been over 10 years since United Nations Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, placing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the center of global efforts to address social, environmental, and economic challenges. As the 2030 deadline approaches, progress remains uneven, and the need for strong, evidence-based solutions has never been greater. In 2026, the global research ecosystem is undergoing significant change. International collaboration is increasingly shaped by geopolitical tensions, researchers are under immense pressure to publish in high-quality journals, research funding is being reduced, and scholarly infrastructure is overstretched. At the same time, the roles of journal editors and researchers/reviewers are becoming more complex and diverse, creating opportunities to advance the SDGs by ensuring that research is credible, inclusive, and accessible, while also influencing institutional and national policies to become more aligned with the SDGs.
This session will examine how editorial leadership, journal policies, and peer-review practices can actively support SDG progress by encouraging global participation, equitable authorship, interdisciplinary research, strengthening transparency and data integrity, and integrating SDG-related practices into editorial workflows and policies.
This session is organised by the EASE Environment and Sustainability Committee. It is free and open to all.
Independent ConsultantBangladesh
Dr. Haseeb Md. Irfanullah, is a biologist-turned-development facilitator, who often introduces himself as a research enthusiast. Active as a consultant and a volunteer in environment, climate change, and research system, he advocates for evidence-guided policy and practice change for effective conservation and resilience building efforts.
Senior Vice President Research Networks, ElsevierUnited Kingdom
Open Science Trainer and Consultant, Access 2 PerspectivesGermany
Chief Partnership Officer, CACTUSUnited Kingdom