Introduction: Science for Policy

The Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development at Rio+20 was organised by ICSU. Photo: ICSU

Science for Policy

ICSU’s work on science for policy focuses on three main areas:

• providing scientific advice and coordinating the participation of scientists in policy processes
• providing advice on how policy processes should be created or modified to best receive and utilise available scientific knowledge
• creating scientific research programmes that will improve collaboration between scientists, policy-makers and other stakeholders in the generation of scientific knowledge

UN policy fora

Much of ICSU’s work on science for policy takes place at the international level, working with the United Nations (UN), predominantly through the ‘Major Groups’ model of participation, in which ICSU works as co-organising partner for the Scientific and Technological Community Major Group. Current activities mainly focus on follow-up from the 2012 Rio+20 Conference.

Current activities:

• Science advice for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Building the science-policy interface for the High Level Political Forum
• Science-policy interface at UNEP

Previous activities:

• ICSU at the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development
• Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)

ICSU’s interdisciplinary Programmes

ICSU’s programmes also do work in this area:

• Future Earth will codesign research with policy-makers and other stakeholders.
• DIVERSITAS contributes to the Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)
• The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) contributes to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
• SCAR provides scientific advice on the role of the Antarctic and associated systems
  in global climate change to the IPCC and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The Science for Policy Portal is edited by