How to improve the dialogue between science and society: The case of Global Environmental Change

This policy brief, published by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) in December 2006, examines the science-policy interface regarding Global Environmental Change (GEC). Drawing on an analysis by the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) and the IAI, the document outlines the challenges of making science policy-relevant and proposes a cycle for integrating scientific knowledge into societal and political action in the Americas.

• Global environmental change (GEC) science is evolving toward greater societal accountability and is specifically tasked with providing predictions on the rate, shape, and extent of GEC, supporting decisions on mitigation options, and providing guidance for adaptation.
• The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) operates as an intergovernmental organization in the Americas that supports multinational collaborative research networks (CRNs) involving more than 450 scientists across 19 countries.
• Effective policy responses to GEC require the integration of political, scientific, and technical considerations, and the legitimacy of such policies depends on harmonizing development with the capacity of life-support systems.
• The IAI identifies a necessary cycle for policy-relevant science that involves incorporating social concerns into public decision agendas, changing policies to integrate scientific knowledge into action, and using policy results to identify knowledge gaps for further research.
• The societal and policy relevance of GEC science is determined by five main attributes: Credibility, Practicality, Usefulness, Accessibility, and Acceptability.
• To achieve policy relevance, the document suggests specific strategies: building trust and stable funding for credibility; using pilot studies and Decision Support Systems for acceptability; involving social scientists and recognizing political contexts for practicality; and developing a common language for accessibility.
• The document notes that while scientists may act as advocates for global change themes, they must do so without sacrificing their scientific credibility.

APA

Tiessen, H. (2006). How to improve the dialogue between science and society: The case of Global Environmental Change. Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/Policy_Brief.pdf

Chicago

Tiessen, Holm. How to improve the dialogue between science and society: The case of Global Environmental Change. Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, 2006. https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/Policy_Brief.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tiessen |first1=Holm |title=How to improve the dialogue between science and society: The case of Global Environmental Change |publisher=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |date=December 2006 |url=https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/Policy_Brief.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tiessen2006how, author = {Tiessen, Holm}, title = {{How to improve the dialogue between science and society: The case of Global Environmental Change}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2006}, month = dec, url = {https://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/Policy_Brief.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }