Rethinking science-policy-practice interaction for transformative sustainability research and innovation in Europe
A new publication of the CASRI project finds that siloed structures and the need to engage various societal sectors and governance levels continue to pose significant challenges to effective collaboration between science, policy, practice, and society in Europe. In view of the highly variable contexts for interaction and communication throughout Europe, the paper proposes to invest in greater recognition of the diverse dimensions of inclusive participation. It draws on national surveys on the science-policy-practice interface from 14 countries, including Switzerland.
Sustainability science is only useful if it reaches the people who make decisions about our influence on climate, resource depletion, or poverty. This study, based on the CASRI project, therefore set out to investigate how scientists, policymakers, and society interact in Europe. The work draws on desk reviews, semi-structured interviews with approximately 300 experts (researchers, politicians, and funding bodies) across fourteen European countries, and workshops where participants discussed the findings. In Switzerland, the SCNAT Sustainability Research Initiative (SRI) together with the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) conducted the study. The aim was to learn from real-world experiences: the communication tools used, the funding mechanisms, and the practices and structures that facilitate or hinder dialogue. A conclusion is that without inclusive, broadly supported dialogue, European sustainability science risks remaining a collection of isolated projects rather than a coordinated engine for societal transformation. Greater recognition of the diverse dimensions of inclusive participation is proposed to ensure that environmental and sustainability research leaves no one behind.
Source: Lyytimäki, J., Kunttu, L., Bartke, S., Eckert, K., Ellen, G.J., Gaugitsch, H., Gauigitsch, H., Lipták, Maring, L., Mervaala, E., Molina, C., Neumann, J., Otto, S., Rijken, B., Savage, K., van Sluisveld, M. (2025). Rethinking science-policy-practice interaction for transformative sustainability research and innovation in Europe. DOI : https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.21755.1
Contact
Dr. Gabriela Wülser
SCNAT
Sustainability Research Initiative (SRI)
House of Academies
PO Box
3001 Bern
Switzerland