News Blog

Throughout April 2026, the Pre-SB64 Virtual Conference successfully brought together civil society partners from across the TH!NK Global Sustainability Network, including participants from MENA, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia. Designed as a multi-session preparatory process ahead of the June UNFCCC Subsidiary Body Meetings (SB64) in Bonn, the conference created an important collaborative platform for capacity building, strategic coordination, and collective advocacy development among civil society actors from the Global South. Structured around three interactive virtual sessions and an intensive intersessional working phase, participants worked through thematic groups focused on: Climate Finance & GovernanceAdaptation, Biodiversity & EcosystemsFood Systems & WaterEnergy & Just TransitionCross-Cutting Issues Through these working groups, participants jointly developed and refined a shared position paper that reflects regional priorities,...

The pre-COP meeting on “Strengthening Flyway Cooperation”, hosted by Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea under the GMACC framework, was held on 22 March 2026 in Campo Grande, Brazil. The meeting brought together stakeholders from major flyway initiatives to strengthen dialogue and advance coordinated international action ahead of CMS COP15. The discussions highlighted that migratory species face multiple shared and interconnected threats - including habitat loss, infrastructure-related risks, and poisoning - which require coordinated responses at the flyway level. Case studies on species such as bustards, the Steppe Eagle, the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, and the Black-faced Spoonbill reinforced the need for cross-border collaboration. In particular, the recovery of the Black-faced Spoonbill demonstrated how long-term monitoring, citizen science, international cooperation, and policy support can collectively...

Climate action does not begin with global declarations or negotiation texts. It begins in communities, where civil society organisations respond to climate impacts, protect livelihoods and ecosystems, and advocate for just and inclusive solutions. Across regions, these efforts are shaped by diverse political, social and environmental realities. Yet many of the challenges civil society actors face are shared: limited access to decision-making spaces, fragmented knowledge exchange, shrinking civic space and the difficulty of scaling locally grounded solutions. In this context, structured cooperation among civil society organisations is not optional. It is essential. Within the framework of the Global Project for Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change (GMACC), the Think Global Sustainability Network connects civil society actors across regions to address these...

The first global GMACC Conference brought together civil society actors from across Africa, Latin America, MENA and Asia to explore how locally driven climate solutions can be strengthened through global collaboration. Against the backdrop of accelerating climate impacts, biodiversity loss and food insecurity, the conference focused on breaking silos between sectors, regions and levels of action. Through peer learning, thematic sessions and dialogue-based formats, participants shared practical experiences in biodiversity conservation, climate-resilient food systems, circular economy innovation and advocacy. This conference report summarises key discussions and lessons from the GMACC Conference 2025 and seeks to support continued dialogue among actors working on locally driven climate and sustainability initiatives. Download the Conference Report (PDF) From Silos to Synergies: Strengthening Locally Driven Climate...

From November to December 2025, sustainable start-ups in Ecothon network across Southeast Asia participated in the Ecothon Alumni Global Acceleration Program 2025—a hybrid initiative designed to help Ecothon alumni move from promising local ventures to globally connected, investment-ready businesses. Building on the Ecothon initiative launched in 2019 by the ASEM SMEs Eco-Innovation Center (ASEIC) and the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF), the programme responds to a growing need among alumni start-ups for international exposure, investor access and cross-border collaboration. With a strong focus on Sustainable Development Goal 12 (Sustainable Consumption and Production), the acceleration programme aimed to strengthen the global readiness of eco-entrepreneurs committed to low-impact, circular and sustainable business models. Out of 45 applications from seven ASEAN countries, 15 start-ups from...

On 22 October 2025, a virtual masterclass on “Scaling Energy and Sustainable Start-ups: Entering the German Market” brought together start-ups, ecosystem supporters, and sustainability practitioners from Asia, Europe, and beyond. Co-organised by Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) Vietnam and the German Energy Agency (dena), the event was held within the framework of the TH!NK GLOBAL Sustainability Network under HSF’s Global Project on Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change (GMACC). As countries worldwide accelerate efforts to decarbonise their economies, start-ups are playing an increasingly important role in developing innovative technologies and sustainable business models. With its ambitious energy transition and dynamic innovation ecosystem, Germany offers significant opportunities for international start-ups seeking to scale their solutions and access new markets. The masterclass aimed to...

Hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups of the Republic of Korea and jointly organised by the Hanns Seidel Foundation Vietnam (HSF), the ASEM SMEs Eco-Innovation Center (ASEIC), Ecothon is an annual competition for promising sustainable business ideas and models in selected ASEAN countries, running since 2019. This year, following the success of programme in the Philippines and Lao PDR, Ecothon in Malaysia was held as the last competition of the Ecothon 2025 series. From May to October 2025, Ecothon in Malaysia 2025 was organised to support start-ups in developing sustainable and circular business models while strengthening their engagement with regional policy and innovation networks. The programme was co-organised by the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) and the ASEM SMEs Eco-Innovation...

As part of the collaboration between the ASEM SMEs Eco-Innovation Center (ASEIC) and the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF), Ecothon in Lao PDR 2025 was held from May to September 2025 through a series of online and offline training, coaching, and mentoring sessions culminating to the Demo-Day on September 23 in Vientiane. Since its inception in 2019 as part of the Republic of Korea (ROK)-ASEAN Startup Partnership, Ecothon has grown into a premier platform for sustainable business model development. Co-organised by HSF and its long-standing partner ASEIC in collaboration with local partners in selected ASEAN countries, Ecothon continues to bring together innovative startups, aspiring eco-entrepreneurs, and industry experts in a dynamic competition to develop sustainable business models. Designed to promote sustainable consumption...

From May to September 2025, Ecothon in the Philippines 2025 brought together start-ups innovative, sustainability-driven business models and investment-ready pitches. Organised by the ASEM SMEs Eco-Innovation Center (ASEIC) and Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) and co-hosted by the Department of Trade and Industry of the Philippines (DTI), this year’s Ecothon in the Philippines  marked the beginning of a series of Ecothons to be held in 4 ASEAN countries: Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines, and Indonesia. Ecothon - short for Eco-entrepreneurs’ Marathon - is a flagship competition designed to promote sustainable and circular business models aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 12 on Sustainable Consumption and Production. Since its launch in 2019, the programme has provided a platform for start-ups to engage...

From 24 to 27 November 2025, the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) in Namibia hosted the very first GMACC Conference 2025 – a major international gathering of partner organisations from the Global Project for Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change (GMACC). Participants travelled from Latin America, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, South-East Asia and Central Asia to join four days of exchange, learning and field experience in Windhoek and its surroundings. Strengthening global collaboration for sustainability The conference set out to enhance cross-regional learning and support the co-creation of innovative climate and sustainability solutions. Through the TH!NK Global Sustainability Network, GMACC connects civil society organisations that work on biodiversity conservation, climate-resilient food systems, the circular economy, advocacy, sustainable entrepreneurship and related areas....