Science Advice for Sustainability and Green Transition

Seminar 27 June 15.00-17.00 at Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters

Scientific Advisors and Science Advice Mechanisms are part of an effort to provide evidence-based knowledge to decision makers as well as to members of the public. Specifically with respect to the climate crisis, science advice mechanisms have played a pivotal role in describing the scope of the crisis and its potential consequences – as well as possible solutions. Internationally, IPCC continues to inform decision makers and nationally, Klimarådet evaluates the potential effect of current policies and estimates whether the policies will ensure that Denmark meets its CO2 reduction goals.

Politicians and the public, however, are not – and should not be – obliged to follow the advice provided by science and scientists. But institutionalized science advice mechanisms, such as a Principal Scientific Advisor, should function as ‘knowledge brokers’ who help ensure that decision makers have access to relevant and sufficient evidence-based knowledge. Similarly, such science advice also holds the potential to inform members of the public in their everyday decision making – also in relation to ways of living more sustainably.     

As scientific and technical academies, it is in the interest of KDVS and ATV to better understand when and how good science advice works. It is also in our interest to promote and formulate new initiatives that support science advice nationally and internationally – to decision makers and members of the public alike.

Against this background, we are pleased to welcome Professor K. VijayRaghavan, former Principal Scientific Advisor to India’s Prime Minister, to discuss differences and similarities in the Indian and Danish Scientific Advice Mechanisms. We look forward to unfolding how a role as Principal Scientific Advisor can speak truth to power, how scientists can make their knowledge available to decision makers and the public, how we ensure that scientific advisors and scientists remain neutral and abstain from politicizing, as well as how we handle potentially contradictory advice.  

Moderator
Katrine Krogh Andersen, Vice President, Danish Academy of Technical Sciences (Dean, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen).

15.00	Welcome Thomas Sinkjær, Secretary-General, Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters
15.15	Keynote 1 Prof K. VijayRaghavan Former Principal Scientific Advisor to India’s Prime Minister
15.45	Keynote 2 Prof Lene Oddershede Member of Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters & Danish Academy of Technical Sciences (Senior Vice President, Novo Nordisk Foundation)
16.00	Panel discussion Prof Alan Irwin, member of Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters (Professor, Copenhagen Business School) Christine Nellemann, member of Danish Academy of Technical Sciences (Director of Institute, DTU National Food Institute) Prof K. VijayRaghavan, former Principal Scientific Advisor to India’s Prime Minister Prof Lene Oddershede, member of Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters & Danish Academy of Technical Sciences (Senior Vice President, Novo Nordisk Foundation) Shannon Olsson, Global Director, the echo network & Special Scientific Envoy to India, Danish Academy of Technical Sciences
16.55	Closing remarks by moderator
17.00	Reception

Participants and registration

The seminar is by invitation only. Members of the two academies will be invited through the usual channels, in addition key stakeholders from ministries, media, NGOs etc. will be invited.

Registration here via Royal Academy’s website.

Organizers: Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters (KDVS), Danish Academy of Technical Sciences (ATV) and Novo Nordisk Foundation