Communicating global change science to society: an assessment and case studies

Governments and scientists may be equally concerned with global environmental change, but their interests – and their timelines – are not the same.

While governments tend to focus on short-term effects and local impacts of global phenomena, scientists are reluctant to engage in speculation about the specific consequences of large-scale environmental trends. How can we communicate science and translate understanding of these trends into public policy? This book examines the growing number of instances in which governments and scientists have engaged in research projects in which the goal is to inform policy decisions. It assesses these experiences and discusses implications for future collaborations. Download PDF (Spanish)