The climate research network Climate Change Centre Austria (CCCA) has set out its position on the role of science in society and its responsibilities in the face of the major challenges of our time in a recent position paper.
Despite 50 years of scientific warnings about the consequences of unlimited material growth and 30 years of intensive efforts towards sustainable development, the world remains far from a global solution to these challenges. This raises urgent questions: How could this have happened despite comprehensive scientific knowledge and extensive research programmes on sustainable development and climate neutrality?
In an increasingly sceptical society, CCCA is taking on these challenges and formulating four key questions, the answers to which are intended to provide not only guidance for the network itself, but also fresh impetus for public discourse:
- Responsibility of science: How should the role and responsibility of scientists and science be understood in the face of today's major societal challenges?
- Public trust: How must science evolve or change in order to (re)gain the trust of society?
- Role of scientists: What needs to change so that scientists can live up to this understanding of science?
- CCCA activities: How does CCCA intend to act in the spirit of promoting transdisciplinary research and as an agent of societal transformation towards climate neutrality?
In this position paper, CCCA calls for greater involvement of science in societal transformation processes and emphasises the need for independent, interdisciplinary, and transparent research. CCCA also sees science as having a responsibility to actively contribute to solving socio-political problems such as the climate crisis. The concept of "transformative science" is brought to the fore, which understands science not merely as an observer, but as an active agent of change.
CCCA appeals to scientists to critically reflect on their role and to confront the ethical and societal challenges of their work. The trust of society can only be regained through transparent and values-driven research. Furthermore, science must be willing to accept dissent and engage in open dialogue about the uncertainties and limitations of its findings.
As a network of research institutions, CCCA will continue to work towards improving the conditions for problem-oriented inter- and transdisciplinary research in climate (impact) and transformation research, and to actively participate in public discourse. The aim is to provide the public with the knowledge needed to make well-informed assessments of policy measures and scientific statements.
