Programme / Thematic session III/b – The Science-Policy Interface: Implementation of Agenda 2030 and the SDGs

With just a few years left to 2030, transformative and accelerated actions are needed aiming at fulfilling the Global Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Many countries are, however, heading in the wrong direction, and the impacts of climate change and loss of biodiversity on our lives are increasing, with damaging effects on health, poverty, hunger and pollution of land and the oceans.

Scientists have a responsibility to guide policymakers in their decisions because science has a unique role in providing solutions to how to address many of the global challenges we are facing. Politicians and scientists therefore need to build channels for requesting and receiving advice. Scientists also need to strengthen the communication with citizens to give everybody the opportunity to actively participate in the public debate on scientific issues and, not least, to be able to put pressure on policymakers. Additionally, scientists need to strengthen partnerships with other knowledge systems of humanity, for example, the traditional knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.             

Academies of science have an important role in providing independent evidence-based science advice to policymakers. The European Academies’ Science Advisory Council, EASAC, an affiliated network of the global InterAcademy Partnership network, mobilizes Europe’s leading scientists to guide EU policy for the benefit of society by bringing together the National Academies of Science of the EU Member States, Norway, Switzerland and UK.

The focus of this thematic session will be on science for policy work connected to the SDGs, the Agenda 2030 and the Paris agreement, focusing on the impact of climate change not only on extreme weather events, but also on biological diversity and health. A keynote address will be followed by shorter contributions and a moderated discussion.

Keynote message: Helena Nader: Science for Global Transformation: recommendations by the S20 academies

followed by Introduction to Science for Policy advice by Academies: Helena Nader and Wim van Saarloos (in discussion)

Short contributions:

Rosa Castro: Scientific advice to address climate change’s (unequal) impacts on health

Thomas Elmqvist: Food production and food security in a changing climate

Zsolt Molnár: Knowledge co-production between science and traditional, indigenous and local knowledge in global science-policy fora on biodiversity (IPBES, CBD)

Round-table discussion: Helena Nader, Rosa Castro, Thomas Elmqvist, and Zsolt Molnár; Moderator: Wim van Saarloos