How to improve the Dialoge between Science and Society - The Case of Global Environmental Change
Policy Brief No. 3 from UNESCO, SCOPE, and UNEP
Global environmental change, which includes climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, loss of biodiversity, changes in hydrological processes and the supply of freshwater, land degradation and stresses on food-producing systems significantly affects human health and well-being. Governments are recognizing that natural resources are not inexhaustible and that the environment can no longer provide a reliable base for development if we continue to operate in a 'business-as-usual' mode.
Driven by societyís concerns for its own future, the role of science is evolving towards greater societal accountability and relevance. Policy is increasingly called upon to use knowledge based on scientifi c analyses and to take action to mitigate, regulate and adapt to global environmental change.