Lead organizer: International Council for Science (ICSU)

This side event will explore calls in the Rio+20 outcome document to improve science-policy links, and to develop a new mechanism for international scientific cooperation and collaboration on sustainable development. Speakers will introduce efforts by the scientific community to meet these demands, particularly through the major new initiative Future Earth – research for global sustainability.

Future Earth aims to deliver knowledge to enable societies to meet their sustainable development goals in the coming decades. The event will encourage debate between scientists, policy-makers and civil society on what this initiative should provide, and how it should be structured to ensure that international science is truly collaborating with society and policy-makers, and providing the knowledge needed in the wake of Rio+20.

Future Earth is being established by a unique Alliance for global sustainability including researchers, funders and users of knowledge, comprising the International Council for Science (ICSU), the International Social Science Council (ISSC), the Belmont Forum of research funders, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations University (UNU) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) supportive, and actively involved in the establishment of Future Earth. Future Earth will build on the strengths of the current Global Environmental Change Programmes:Diversitas, IGBP, IHDP and WCRP.

For More Information: http://www.uncsd2012.org/index.php?page=view&type=1000&nr=125&menu=126