GEOG Postdoctoral Associate Lei Ma has been selected as a member of the Early Career Scholars for an Inclusive Stocktake (ECSIS) program, which gathers 11 early-career scholars from around the world, including Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America, and Oceania, with diverse disciplinary and cultural backgrounds to discuss topics of urgency and relevance to the global stocktake (GST). Ma will bring his expertise in terrestrial carbon cycling and remote sensing to the ECSIS program, and collaborate with other member scholars to produce research products, including policy briefs and working papers. These outputs will help inform the formal Global Stocktake (GST) before COP28.

About ECSIS and the GST:

Facilitated by the independent Global Stocktake’s (iGST) co-leads for the mitigation working group, Center for Global Sustainability (CGS) at the University of Maryland and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), the ECSIS program aims to initiate a network of future academic leaders at the frontier stocktaking research to better inform policymakers and incubate innovative thinking on broader climate challenges from crosscutting perspectives. 
 

The Global Stocktake (GST) is a crucial evaluation mechanism under the Paris Agreement, aimed at assessing the collective progress towards achieving its long-term goals. Collaborative, integrative, and interdisciplinary research is a key aspect of this process and contributes to a deeper understanding of complex scientific questions. The ECSIS program recognizes the importance of such research and seeks to create opportunities for its advancement by providing a supportive environment for these endeavors. Additionally, the program places a strong emphasis on promoting diversity and inclusiveness among early-career scholars, and has a specific focus on the developing world. More than half of the selected scholars are from the Global South. The program also prioritizes gender equality and balance by selecting a diverse group, consisting of 6 male scholars  and 5 female scholars, to ensure equal opportunities and promote inclusivity in the academic community. This not only enriches the research landscape but also helps to ensure that the GST reflects a broad range of perspectives and experiences, improving its relevance and effectiveness. More details can be found here.

Headshot of Lei Ma