science policy interface

GeoPolicy: How science supported the EU’s new land use and forestry regulation

Chloe Hill July 3, 2018

Beech forest on slope subject to rock fall. Credit: Ettore Bianchi (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

What is the land use and forestry regulation? In October 2014, the EU agreed that all sectors, including land and forestry, should contribute to the EU’s 2030 climate & energy framework target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. Almost 4 years later, in May 2018, the EU Commission’s proposal for the 2021-2030 land use and forestry regulatio ...[Read More]

Geopolicy: How does scientific uncertainty translate into policy?

Chloe Hill January 26, 2018

Direction and uncertainty. Credit: Elis Alves (distributed via Flickr).

Scientific uncertainty is one of the only things in science that is certain. It’s found in complex modelling systems, in the unpredictability of natural processes and even when there seems to be scientific consensus, a new scientific discovery can recreate ambiguity. But how do policymakers deal with scientific uncertainty when they are making decisions? Policymakers deal with and use scientific u ...[Read More]

GeoPolicy: Making a case for science at the United Nations

Heide Hackmann February 10, 2017

Photo credit: The International Council for Science. Distributed via Flickr.com

This month’s GeoPolicy is a guest post by the International Council for Science (ICSU). Based in Paris, the organisation works at the science-policy interface on the international scale. Here, Heide Hackmann, Executive Director at ICSU, highlights key initiatives ensuring science is present within the United Nations (UN) and explains how ICSU and the scientific community can support these pr ...[Read More]