Important link: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79251/the-climate-mental-health-nexus-in-global-governance
The World Economic Forum Global Risks Report 2026 highlighted the key risks shaping the next decades drawing on insights from more than 1,300 global leaders and experts; it maps the risks on the two- to 10-year horizons. In the long run, climate-related issues and environmental risks (e.g., extreme weather events, biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse, critical change to earth systems, etc.) will remain the top priorities in global governance agenda.
How can environmental multilateralism shape the inclusiveness of diaspora communities and civil society organizations (CSOs) as key environmental stakeholders in consensus building processes and inter-stakeholders’ negotiations in global environmental and social governance? The Research Topic will argue how digital technologies and digital transformations improve the effectiveness of climate diplomacy and reconnect intermediary structures in society to mobilize research, foster innovation, and leave no one behind (just transition).
The Research Topic will delve into the pivotal role of diaspora communities and civil society organizations in the quintuple innovation helix framework, focus on the evolving landscape of environmental multilateralism and global environmental and social governance, and fill the urban-rural climate reform gap between the theoretical dimension of climate diplomacy (e.g., democratic participation, shared responsibility, etc.) and the practical dimension of the UN-SDG 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Research Topic will emphasize the “heterarchical”, “polycentric/diversified power relations”, and “bottom-up” aspects of environmental multilateralism by including the diaspora communities and CSOs in mediation, negotiation, and consensus building processes global environmental and social governance.
The Research Topic will prioritize the essential role of “co-creation” and “spillover effect” of the environmental actions of the diaspora communities and CSOs to highlight the driving forces, root causes, and impact factors of climate governance and human interactions that generate meaning for shared responsibility and social cohesion in global environmental and social governance.
The Research Topic will also highlight the growing climate–mental health nexus in the EU region, recognizing that climate change is not only an environmental and economic challenge but also a significant social and psychological one. Increasing exposure to climate-related risks—such as extreme weather events, environmental degradation, and climate uncertainty—has profound implications for community resilience, well-being, and mental health across both urban and rural contexts.
In this regard, the Research Topic can invite contributions that explore long-term governance strategies that integrate climate adaptation, social resilience, and mental health considerations within environmental and climate policy frameworks. Particularly how inclusive governance models, participatory climate diplomacy, and multi-level stakeholder engagement can strengthen psychosocial resilience and support vulnerable populations facing climate-related stressors. And also invite perspectives from environmental governance, public policy, social sciences, and mental health research to advance interdisciplinary approaches that address the human dimension of climate change to help identify policy innovations and collaborative strategies capable of promoting sustainable development, social cohesion, and mental well-being in the context of accelerating environmental change.