The Arduous Process of Climate Change Negotiations: How Science Can Facilitate the Desired Outcome

Abstract

Effective interaction between climate science and policy is important for moving climate negotiations forward to reach an ambitious global climate change deal. Lack of progress in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations during recent years is a good reason for taking a closer look at the process of climate science-policy interaction to identify and eliminate existing shortcomings hindering climate policymaking. This paper examines the current state of climate science-policy interaction and suggests ways to integrate scientific input into the UNFCCC process more effectively. Suggestions relate to improvement in institutional structures, processes and procedures of the UNFCCC and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), quality of scientific input, credibility of scientific message and public awareness of climate change.

Keywords: science, climate change, UNFCCC, uncertainty, risk