No time to waste: Integrating planetary boundary science into policy and practice with the Frontiers Planet Prize
“No time to waste” panel session. (left to right) Nicole Schwab, co-head, World Economic Forum (WEF); Massamba Thioye, project executive, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); Céline Abecassis-Moedas, associate professor, Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics; Salvatore Aricò, CEO, International Science Council (ISC); Johan Rockström, director, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and chairman, Frontiers Planet Prize Jury of 100. Photo credit: Marius Burgelman
The second edition of the Frontiers Planet Prize Award Ceremony took place from 25 to 27 June 2024 in Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland. Organized by the Frontiers Research Foundation in collaboration with the Villars Institute, the event celebrated advancements in planetary boundary science, focusing on the latest research and strategies to integrate this science into policy and practice.
Following the announcement of the 2024 International Champions, a panel session titled “No time to waste,” was held to initiate discussions on how this research can be shaped and amplified to influence policy, the private sector, and civil society for a sustainable future. Nicole Schwab, co-head of the World Economic Forum (WEF), moderated the session.
Below is a summary of the expertise showcased during the panel session, highlighting the need for systemic change and ways to address challenges faced by engaging diverse stakeholder groups to ensure an active, just transition within the Earth’s ecological boundaries.
Johan Rockström, Director, Potsdam Institute for Climate Research Impact; Jury of 100 Chairman, Frontiers Planet Prize
“We face major risks, but we know solving these problems makes us all winners when we come out on the other end in terms of prosperity, equity, and resilience-building. And that is something we need to work together on - the new narrative for the future.”
One of the primary challenges in tackling the climate crisis is bridging the gap between science and policy. The academic process thrives on debate, which benefits the scientific community, but can confuse non-scientific stakeholders who might receive unreliable, incomplete, or otherwise confusing information. This confusion can overshadow the broad consensus that does exist among scientists and therefore hinders the progress of translating scientific insights into effective actions. Johan Rockström highlighted the 1.5-degree threshold as an example. While climate scientists unanimously agree that exceeding this limit will have increasingly negative impacts on our planet, much of the public is unaware of this critical number. Instead, they receive mixed messages or misinformation from biased sources or bad actors who use this ambiguity to deny the challenges humanity is facing and absolve responsibility. To address this, Rockström advised that the scientific community should not only be more mindful of their debates, but also make a concerted effort to clearly communicate the areas of agreement to the public. Additionally, Rockström advised fostering transparent and inclusive dialogues with which we can build a new narrative about a more sustainable future that resonates with the masses.
Thanks to ongoing scientific research, we now understand that the sustainability transition leads to better outcomes. Solving the climate crisis will benefit everyone, and we can accelerate this change when science, policy, and civil society collaborate. Rockström referenced the recovery of the stratospheric ozone as a successful example of such collaboration. The science behind ozone layer depletion led to a Nobel Prize, which then influenced policy through the Montreal Protocol, resulting in a legally binding agreement that prompted industry innovation away from chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and towards the recovery of the ozone layer. This example demonstrates the importance of policy listening to science, industry readiness to innovate, and public trust in shared science. Replicating this process with respect to planetary boundary science will enable us to live on a healthier, more sustainable planet. It will require the support of many stakeholder groups, but as Rockström reminded the panel, a committed minority can overcome a passive majority.
Salvatore Aricò, Chief Executive Officer, International Science Council (ISC)
“The sense of urgency is such that science really has to be framed through co-design with stakeholders other than scientific researchers, co-design [the] research agenda, co-produce knowledge in a direction that generates actionable knowledge.”
Like many, Salvatore Aricò believes that science can guide us, but he also recognizes that the current processes of scientific assessment may be showing some limitations. To address this, it is essential to establish a stronger dialogue between science and policy stakeholders. This interaction requires a broker, an intermediary role that Aricò suggests could be taken up by scientists themselves. Positioned at the forefront of knowledge and discovery, scientists are uniquely suited not only to translate findings into accessible terms, but also make them actionable. Reiterating the need for science to act, Aricò calls on scientists to be bold in leaving their comfort zones and making their voices heard. This requires a paradigm shift, altering how research and research questions are conceived to better reflect the nature and complexity of societal challenges and encourage the generation of actionable knowledge. By acknowledging the urgency of the current situation and adopting a new approach of co-designing research with external stakeholders, scientists can enhance the science-policy interface and transform the effectiveness of science in the decision-making process.
Céline Abecassis Moedas, Associate Professor, Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics
“Our mission should be to train people at the beginning of their careers and keep training them at different stages so they can participate and learn from the latest developments.”
While scientists and policymakers often receive the spotlight when it comes to the climate crisis, business leaders also play a crucial role in addressing it. CélineAbecassis Moedas noted that many executives are eager to make their businesses more sustainable, but often feel lost and seek guidance from science on how to achieve this. To bridge the gap between business and science, she, too, emphasized the need for brokers who can translate scientific knowledge into actionable steps for corporations, calling it essential for success. However, simply providing occasional information to the private sector is insufficient. Executive education can help connect the dots and integrate science into the education and decision-making processes of business leaders. Given the rapid pace of scientific development, continuous training throughout an individual’s career is necessary to understand the stakes and address them effectively through an evidence-based approach.
Massamba Thioye, Project Executive, The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
“Science can contribute to reinventing the world, but for that it needs to enable the development of systemic innovation framework that is human-centric, need-based, vision-driven, and transformative.”
The climate crisis is intrinsically linked to the broader sustainability crisis. Our challenge is to meet the core human needs of the global community while staying within the planetary boundaries. Massamba Thioye emphasizes that the scientific breakthroughs enabling us to meet these needs and achieve this goal are those that drive the most transformative climate and sustainability innovations. However, this innovation must extend beyond science and technology alone. Policies, financial instruments, business models, cooperative approaches, and products must also be transformed to create a more sustainable world.
Science itself is value-neutral, but innovation gives it societal impact, and innovation has an agenda. Thioye explains that, historically, science has served power, whether economic or military. For science to support a sustainable transition, it must enable climate and sustainability innovations that serve people and the planet. The most effective way to achieve this is through a vision-oriented innovation framework, where we envision the future we desire and then reverse engineer it through science and innovation. In doing so, we must promote three core values along the science and innovation value chain: caring, sharing, and daring.
Caring: This drives commitment and inspires action. Genuine care for the planet and its inhabitants will motivate decision makers to set ambitious goals, increasing demand for sustainable solutions and encouraging solution providers to preserve through challenges.
Sharing: This enables all communities, regardless of capability, to participate in the innovation process and exchange knowledge, experience, and best practices.
Daring: This is crucial for addressing our current situation. To effectively tackle the climate crisis, we must set goals based on what is needed, not what is perceived. The gap between what is needed and what is currently possible will drive innovation and scientific progress.
By changing how we think, act, and interact, we can bring about systemic change that prioritizes the wellbeing of people and the planet.
