JRBP Directors Engage in International Science-Policy Dialogue

Faculty Director Liz Hadly and Executive Director Tony Barnosky met with California's Governor Jerry Brown, First Lady Anne Gust Brown, Norway’s Climate and Environment Minister Vidar Helgesen, and heads of the National Academy of Sciences from ten countries in a historic meeting designed to promote dialogue between scientists and policy makers. The day-long event, which included Academy presidents or Academy representatives from the United States, Norway, United Kingdom, Germany, China, Finland, Canada, Sweden, France, and Denmark, was led by Norwegian academician Nils Chr. Stenseth and took place at the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters in Oslo November 10.

The scientists and policymakers discussed stark findings from climate research, habitat and biodiversity loss, and human health impacts of environmental degradation, with a focus on how scientific facts can be more effectively communicated and disseminated to drive action and better inform policy and decision-making. The meeting was a first-of-its-kind in bringing together National Academies from several different countries with international policy leaders to help motivate action on global issues. It built upon a scientific consensus statement spearheaded by Governor Brown, Barnosky, and Hadly four years ago, which synthesized key scientific findings from disparate fields into one unified message now endorsed by more than 1,500 researchers from 89 countries. The day following the Oslo workshop, Barnosky and Hadly joined Stenseth, Minister Helgesen, and Senior Advisor for Innovation at Statoil Per Sandberg in a panel discussion entitled "What Do Policy-Makers Need—and What Scientists Know and What They Don’t" held at the University of Oslo.