Support for an Ad Hoc Advisory Group of the Consortium on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development

International Science Council, Paris

Investigators

Abstract

Recent years have seen the emergence of new lines of inquiry associated with the environment and other global processes. Often characterized as "sustainability science," these lines of inquiry seek to better understand the dynamics through which different human and natural systems interact with each other in order to better establish how human activity might be organized and conducted so as to maximize the likelihood that environmental quality and human well-being can be sustained. This award will provide support to enable an ad hoc advisory group to assist in the development of a Consortium for Science and Technology for Sustainable Development. This consortium has been established through the coordinated activities of the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Initiative on Science and Technology for Sustainability (ISTS), and the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). The goal of the consortium is to promote and strengthen efforts around the world to enhance the contribution of science and technology to sustainable development. The ad hoc advisory group has been charged make recommendations regarding four major points to the consortium partners: (1) A process for bringing into the consortium perspectives from a broad range of local, sectoral, regional, and international efforts now underway to enhance the contribution of science and technology to sustainable development; (2) A research and development agenda and a program of activities for the consortium that will promote problem-driven research and development, the capacity building necessary to carry out such work; and plans for linking research and development with actions in ways that will facilitate sustainable development; (3) Strategies and mechanisms that would more fully enable the consortium members jointly and individually to address the challenges and opportunities in harnessing science and technology for sustainable development; and (4) A "draft plan of implementation" for the programmatic and operational activities, including funding aspects, of the consortium. With respect to intellectual merit, this project should advance efforts to link basic science and engineering research efforts with the development of approaches to encourage individuals, groups, and organizations at all scales to adopt policies and undertake actions that will sustain the environment, society, and the economy. Through broadly based planning activities like this, new plans for coordinated research efforts can be developed and disseminated among researchers and others engaged in the science-society interface. With respect to broader impacts, the project will provide guidance regarding future research directions and plans for scientific communities across a broad range of disciplines and in nations around the world. It will further the development of scientific capacity in developing nations by encouraging greater interaction among scientists in all nations. If successful, the project also could have considerable long-term benefits for society as a whole by identifying ways in which basic scientific research can help lead to more sustainable activities in the future.