Report On Participation in the Sor4d Research Conference 2026

5 Views

NUVONI representation: David Mugendi (PhD), Postdoctoral Researcher

1.The SOR4D Research Conference 2026

The SOR4D Research Conference 2026 was held in Bern, Switzerland, from 31 August to 1 September 2026 under the theme “Advancing Transdisciplinary Research for Global Development: Crisis, Collaboration, and Change.” The conference brought together researchers, policymakers, development practitioners and other partners to share research results, discuss practical solutions and build new connections.

The conference focused on how research can move beyond producing knowledge to supporting solutions that respond to real development needs. A central message was that complex challenges cannot be addressed by one discipline or one organisation alone. Collaboration between science, policy and practice is therefore important for developing solutions that are relevant to local conditions and capable of being taken forward.

For NUVONI Centre for Innovation Research, the conference provided an important international platform to present African evidence on carbon dioxide removal (CDR), engage with researchers working in other sectors and countries, and discuss how CDR can contribute to climate action while also supporting livelihoods and sustainable development

2. The Carbon Removal Project and NUVONI's Role

NUVONI participated in the conference through the SOR4D project “Making Carbon Removal Work for Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa.” The wider research team brings together partners with complementary roles in research, innovation and carbon-removal development.

The collaboration is important because carbon removal is not only a technical question. It also involves land, energy, water, finance, infrastructure, governance, markets, community participation and the ability of projects to deliver benefits in the places where they operate.

3. NUVONI's Presentation at the Conference

NUVONI was represented by David Mugendi (PhD), Postdoctoral Researcher, who presented “From Potential to Practice: Development and Application of the Africa-Adapted Oxford Carbon Integrity Framework (AAOCIF) for Sustainable Engineering-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

The presentation asked a practical question: which CDR pathways can move from potential to responsible and sustainable deployment under African conditions? Rather than looking only at how much carbon a technology can remove, the work considers whether the technology can be deployed, monitored, financed and governed responsibly.

4. What the Presentation Covered

The research problem: Global evidence on engineered CDR is growing, but technologies may face very different conditions in Africa, including limitations in infrastructure, energy, water, finance, markets and governance.
The research objectives: The work maps and classifies engineering-based CDR projects, assesses their impacts and identifies factors that can help projects move from pilots towards sustainable deployment.
Evidence and methods: The study combined project and survey information, Kenyan case studies, interviews and field evidence, project documents, life-cycle assessment and the AAOCIF scoring approach.
Field applications: The presentation included evidence from enhanced rock weathering, biochar, direct air capture and community engagement.
Practical assessment: The research brings carbon integrity, deployment feasibility and enabling governance together in one assessment framework.

5. Main Findings Presented

CDR projects remain at different stages: Many projects are still in pilot, development or early commercial stages. Moving from pilot activity to wider deployment requires more than technical proof.
Enhanced rock weathering: Field application showed the practical side of using rock dust on farms. The work points to the need for controlled field trials, repeated soil sampling and monitoring before large-scale deployment
Biochar: Field work showed the link between biochar, farming systems and local value chains. Key issues include reliable residue supply, farmer uptake and strong MRV.
Direct air capture: The assessment highlighted the need for low-carbon energy, suitable processing systems, CO₂ handling and storage, finance and technical capacity.
Community engagement: Engagement with local leaders, civil society groups, farmers and communities can help build trust and improve understanding. However, engagement needs to be supported by clear accountability and safeguards.

6. Field Evidence Presented

The presentation used field photographs to show that the research is connected to activities taking place on the ground, rather than being limited to desk-based assessment.

7. Africa-Adapted Oxford Carbon Integrity Framework (AAOCIF)

A major contribution presented by NUVONI was the Africa-Adapted Oxford Carbon Integrity Framework (AAOCIF). The framework is designed to assess CDR technologies using conditions that are relevant to Sub-Saharan Africa.

The framework therefore treats governance and deployment conditions as part of what makes a carbon-removal pathway credible. This is important for Africa, where a technically effective technology may still face practical barriers to responsible deployment.

8. Lessons from the Conference

– Research has greater value when researchers work with practitioners, communities and decision-makers.

– A technology that works technically still needs the right institutions, finance, infrastructure and policy environment to reach scale.

– African research needs to remain grounded in local conditions instead of simply transferring models developed elsewhere.

– Transdisciplinary collaboration can bring together technical knowledge with social, economic and governance perspectives.

– Research findings need to be communicated clearly so that they can be used by policymakers, practitioners and other stakeholders.

9. Value of the Conference to NUVONI

Participation strengthened NUVONI’s visibility in international research and development discussions on climate change, carbon removal and sustainable development. The presentation provided an opportunity to demonstrate NUVONI’s role in generating African evidence on emerging CDR pathways.

The conference also created opportunities to exchange ideas with researchers and organisations working on different development challenges. This is useful for NUVONI as it continues to build partnerships around climate solutions, research, policy and innovation.

10. Recommended Follow-up

1. The prsentations was part of the preliminary findings of the reserach project ,hence the team will focus in concluding the remaining part of reserach and continue testing AAOCIF with additional CDR projects and another extra African case study,mostly from Nigeria or Ghana.

2. Strengthen field-based MRV evidence for enhanced rock weathering and biochar.

3. Document the social and economic benefits of CDR projects, including farmer participation, employment and local value creation.

4. Continue engagement with technology developers, government, civil society, communities and research institutions.

5. Finalize on article for publication development upon data collection finalization and develop a short policy brief from the AAOCIF findings for African decision-makers.

6. Use the conference contacts to explore practical research and knowledge-sharing collaborations.

11. Conclusion

NUVONI’s participation in the SOR4D Research Conference 2026 provided an opportunity to present African research on carbon removal to an international research and development audience. The presentation showed that the future of CDR in Africa will depend not only on technical performance but also on whether technologies fit local conditions and can be supported by credible MRV, finance, infrastructure, institutions and community participation.

The conference strengthened the case for solution-oriented research that connects evidence with practice. For NUVONI, the next step is to build on the research presented in Bern by strengthening field evidence, partnerships and practical tools that can support responsible carbon-removal development in Africa.

12. Acknowledgement

NUVONI Centre for Innovation Research sincerely acknowledges the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) through the Solution-oriented Research for Development (SOR4D) Programme. This support has provided an important platform for advancing research that connects scientific knowledge with practical development challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa.

NUVONI also appreciates the opportunity to participate in the SOR4D Research Conference 2026, held in Bern, Switzerland, from 31 August to 1 September 2026. The conference provided a valuable space for researchers, development practitioners, policymakers and other stakeholders to exchange experiences, reflect on emerging evidence and explore practical pathways for strengthening the contribution of research to sustainable development. The conference scholarship support also facilitated NUVONI’s participation and enabled the sharing of African research and experiences within the wider SOR4D community.

We particularly acknowledge the collaboration and contributions of partners involved in the Making Carbon Removal Work for Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa initiative. These collaborations have strengthened the research through complementary expertise in carbon removal, sustainability assessment, agricultural systems, governance, innovation and practical deployment.

NUVONI further recognises the contribution of researchers, community members, farmers, project developers, civil society organisations and other stakeholders whose knowledge, experiences and engagement have informed the research on carbon dioxide removal (CDR) in Africa. Their participation has helped bring the research beyond technical assessment to consider the practical, institutional, social and environmental conditions required for responsible deployment.The conference and the wider research collaboration have provided NUVONI with an important opportunity to present the Africa-Adapted Oxford Carbon Integrity Framework (AAOCIF) and to contribute African perspectives to the growing international discussion on carbon removal and sustainable development.