Dr Renuka Thakore
Empowering Climate Leadership, Partnerships & Green Innovation
GSFN was founded on 31st October 2020 by Dr Renuka Thakore, who firmly believes that collaborations between various stakeholders, research partnerships between diverse academics and knowledge exchange, and enhancing education and working together for sustainable and ‘sharing economic’ development model could be the key to achieving a sustainable future.
Dr Renuka Thakore, PhD, MSc, BSc (Hons) PIEMA AFHEA, Founder of Global Sustainable Futures: Progress through Partnership Network, UK, provides leadership to a global Network, administering multidisciplinary activities and research partnerships development platform. Renuka received the “Development Leadership: Governor Enrique Tomás Cresto Award 2022” and “Global SDG’s Women Ambassador Award 2022”. Renuka is recognised for her work as a global leader who has engaged and connected with academics, businesses, and individuals, bringing together Global South and Global North to involve them in climate adaptation and resilience and just transition. She has set up a vibrant, strategically performing community that attracts enthusiastic like-minded coordinators worldwide. The network welcomes diverse sections and societies of the world and is committed to ‘leaving no one behind’ while contributing to sustainable development goals (SDGs). Renuka loves to dig into real-world problems and solve them by applying systems thinking and transdisciplinarity, bringing together technologies, emerging trends in data, skills, education and employment, and future scenarios, and evaluating strategic realities through the multi-level and multi-dimensional integrated framing of sustainable development. Her personal and professional journey over the last 35 years has taught her the key to this lies within every individual and organisation and how they are empowered through their external and internal support system. Building sustainable futures based on traditional systems is impossible. They could be co-created based on shared values and common goods.
Dr Renuka Thakore’s Achievement Awards
2025: Creative Women Platform Sustainability Award
Creative Women Platform
2023: Honorary Entrepreneurial-Thinking Award
Global Tongston Entrepreneurial Education Summit 2023
2023: STAR Category Winner, IGEN IVD Volunteer Recognition Award
The Institution of Green Engineers
2023: Meaningful Tourism Award (Category: Environment)
Meaningful Tourism Centre
2023: Learning & Development Green Shield
Sustainable World Supporters
2022: Global Sustainability Award
Global Council for the Promotion of International Trade
2022: “Development Leadership: Governor Enrique Tomás Cresto” Award
Senate of Argentina
2022: Global SDG’s Woman Ambassador Award
Global Ambassadors of Sustainability
Dr. Renuka Thakore: Visionary Leader for Global Sustainability and Inclusive Development
Dr. Renuka Thakore is an internationally recognised scholar, sustainability strategist, and changemaker, whose professional journey reflects an unwavering commitment to advancing sustainable development through inclusive partnerships, transdisciplinary research, and grassroots empowerment. As the Founder and CEO of the Global Sustainable Futures Network CIC (GSFN) and Founder of Global Sustainable Futures: Progress through Partnerships, UK, she plays a catalytic role in mobilising academic, civic, and policy stakeholders across continents to co-create solutions that respond to pressing global challenges—climate change, inequality, biodiversity loss, and social injustice.
Her leadership has helped foster a global platform where no one is left behind—a core ethos inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Through her unique approach of integrating academic insight, indigenous knowledge systems, youth engagement, and international cooperation, Dr Thakore has become a prominent voice for decolonising sustainability practices and empowering the Global South.
Early Career and Academic Foundation
Dr. Thakore holds a PhD in Environmental Sustainability and Design from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), where she currently serves as a Lecturer and Director of the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies. Her research explores the intersection of environmental design, policy, and community-driven innovation. She also possesses a Master’s degree in Construction Management and Sustainability and a BSc (Hons) in Architecture. Her academic credentials are complemented by her memberships in prestigious bodies such as PIEMA (Practitioner Member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment) and AFHEA (Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy).
Her scholarly interests are transdisciplinary, encompassing climate justice, systems thinking, regenerative development, and inclusive governance models. Her work has been instrumental in shifting the paradigm from “development for” to “development with” marginalized communities, advocating for their active roles in climate adaptation and resilience building.
Global Sustainable Futures Network CIC
In response to the widening sustainability gap between developed and developing countries, Dr. Thakore founded the Global Sustainable Futures Network CIC, a UK-based Community Interest Company, as a global movement. The network now connects over 8000 individuals and institutions from more than 180 countries, including vice chancellors, deans, early career researchers, NGOs, consultants, policy experts, and students.
GSFN facilitates knowledge exchange, joint research, training programs, workshops, and high-impact projects focusing on the SDGs. Its Green Awards program has recognized over 500 champions across the Global South, supporting them in developing green skills for entrepreneurship and employment.
Under her stewardship, GSFN has launched flagship initiatives like:
- 20 Million Farmers Initiative – Farm Carbon Africa: A transformative program aimed at helping smallholder farmers adopt sustainable farming practices, generate carbon credits, and improve livelihoods.
- EmpowerHER: A program supporting women in STEM across Africa and the MENA region, enhancing their access to higher education and leadership roles.
- Global Biodiversity Consortium: Coordinating workshops across Brazil, and the UK, to promote digital technologies for biodiversity restoration, supporting the COP28 30×30 agenda.
Thought Leadership and International Recognition
Dr Thakore is widely respected for her dynamic, people-centered approach to sustainability. Her commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in research and development is not only theoretical but grounded in real-world collaborations and capacity building.
She has been invited as a speaker, panellist, and lead coordinator at high-level platforms, including:
- COP Conferences (Biodiversity and Desertification)
- United Nations Global Forums
- Climate Reality Leadership Corps
- African Union and ECOWAS workshops
- UKRI, British Council, and Newton Fund collaborative events
Her role as a Principal Coordinator in the Lloyd’s Foundation Maritime Academic Networking Grant proposal further reflects her interdisciplinary leadership. She has also engaged with the East African Community Youth Fellowship, contributing to policy and education strategies to promote youth-led development.
In 2023, Dr Thakore was honoured with several awards including:
- Development Leadership: Governor Enrique Tomás Cresto Award 2022
- Star Volunteer Award 2023
- Entrepreneurial Thinker of the Year
- Global SDG Ambassador Recognition
These accolades underline her ability to bridge global policy with grassroots realities.
Innovator of Decolonised Knowledge Exchange
A unique hallmark of Dr Thakore’s work is her emphasis on decolonising sustainability knowledge. She challenges Western-centric paradigms of development and advocates for inclusive models that recognize the agency, innovations, and voices of indigenous, rural, and marginalised communities.
She asserts that “sustainability must emerge from shared values, not imposed agendas,” and actively works to connect scholars and practitioners from the Global South with international research opportunities. Through peer-to-peer mentoring, collaborative publishing, and regional hubs, she helps elevate locally generated solutions to a global platform.
Building Strong, Equitable Partnerships
Partnerships are at the core of her work. Dr Thakore has built sustainable relationships with a wide range of stakeholders including:
- Universities and research institutions across Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Europe
- Government agencies and policymakers
- Faith-based and community-led organizations (e.g., Girls for Climate Action)
- International NGOs and donor agencies
Her global summits program invites diverse grassroots voices to participate in co-creating climate resilience strategies, making policy conversations more inclusive and representative.
Empowering Youth and Women for Climate Leadership
Dr Thakore is a passionate advocate for intergenerational equity. Through initiatives like the Youth Empowerment as a core theme in the Global South Summits, she offers young people—especially from rural and underserved communities—the skills, mentorship, and platforms to shape sustainability narratives.
Her EmpowerHER initiative addresses gender disparities by:
- Providing scholarships and training for girls and women in STEM
- Offering mentorship from women leaders
- Supporting research by women on topics such as food security, water access, and climate adaptation
Current and Future Projects
Among the many projects in progress, the following stand out:
- Brazil-UK Biodiversity Workshop 2025: Leading a UKRI-funded consortium to explore digital solutions for biodiversity conservation and restoration.
- Carbon Credit Programs in Africa: Developing a three-year plan to promote climate-smart agriculture, forest restoration, and plastic waste solutions tied to the carbon market.
- Green Awards: Building capacities of SMEs for excellent performance while transitioning to low carbon economy.
Dr Thakore is also involved in building training modules on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) for small enterprises and advising on national climate policy recommendations.
Conclusion
In an era of global uncertainty and climate urgency, Dr Renuka Thakore stands as a beacon of hope and transformation. Her work exemplifies how committed individuals can drive collective change through authentic partnerships, innovation rooted in justice, and a belief in the power of communities.
She brings to the global table a rare combination of academic rigour, grassroots empathy, policy fluency, and entrepreneurial mindset. Her efforts continue to build bridges across continents, empower future leaders, and reimagine sustainability from the bottom up.
As she often says, “Progress is not a privilege; it is a shared responsibility.” Through her leadership, Dr Renuka Thakore is making sure that this progress is truly sustainable, inclusive, and just.
Latest
Dr. Renuka Thakore Honoured with Creative Women Platform Sustainability Award 2025
Dr. Renuka Thakore has been awarded the Creative Women Platform Sustainability Award 2025 in recognition of her exceptional leadership and unwavering dedication to global sustainability.
This prestigious award, presented during the Creative Women Platform Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony, honours trailblazing women who are shaping a more equitable, environmentally conscious world through creativity, collaboration, and innovation.
Dr. Thakore’s work through the Global Sustainable Futures Network (GSFN) has catalysed international partnerships, empowered grassroots change-makers, and driven impactful climate action initiatives across over 60 countries. Her vision of progress through partnerships is transforming how communities, researchers, and institutions engage with the pressing challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental justice.
Receiving this award is not just a personal milestone, but also a collective recognition of GSFN’s mission to build inclusive, action-driven platforms for sustainable development.
Congratulations to Dr. Thakore on this well-deserved honour — a true reflection of her global impact, integrity, and tireless advocacy for a sustainable future.
