Policy makers have stressed the need for reliable and timely information and data from science to better understand the role of forests in climate change, and there have been ongoing discussions about how to best design the science-policy interface. How can scientists engage with decision makers to effectively share warnings and propose solutions for the big challenges we are facing – and what is expected from policy makers as a response? The 4th International Forest Policy Meeting (#IFPM4) will address these questions in a Panel Debate, taking place on April 27th at 4:15 pm. As the event is happening, a graphic recorder will capture the big ideas, aiming at reinforcing them visually and synthesizing the information.
Moderated by Georg Winkel (Wageningen University and Research) and Agata Konczal (Governance Programme at EFI Bonn), the panelists will discuss how to evaluate the science-policy-society interface on forests in Europe. What are the expectations and needs of policy makers vis–a–vis science, and the other way around?
Setting the stage for the discussion, the event foresees two scientific interventions: Michael Pregernig, (University of Freiburg) and Esther Turnhout (University of Twente) will be presenting and summarizing perspectives and statements for the EU science-policy interface.
Who will join the Panel?
The panel will be joined by distinguished experts from Research, Practice and Policy. Jürgen Bauhus (Chair of Silviculture, University of Freiburg) and Pierre Ibisch (Professor for Nature Conservation at the Department for Forest and Environment at Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development), Anna Deparney-Grunenberg (MEP, The Greens), Gerben Janse (Swedish Forest Agency) and Saskia Ozinga (FERN) will share their views and expertise on this timely issue.
How to bridge the gap?
As changes are happening fast, there are also new challenges reflected in policy and research priorities. The panel debate will reflect upon different perspectives and certainly different approaches surrounding the complexity of the science-policy interface in Europe. In particular, the discussion will be an opportunity to exchange knowledge on the need for a science-policy-society, in line with the idea of increasing transparency and ” democratizing” decision-making.
The graphic recording by Alex Giurca will be drawing out the essence of what is being said on the panel. This visual story of the Science-Policy Debate will be shared after the event.
To join this and the other sessions of the 4th International Forest Policy Meeting you can still register here
The full programme of the #IFPM4 is available here
