Defining a Decade of Global Sustainability Science Action: Call for inputs

In the last few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us of the interconnected nature of the common and global challenges we face, arising from growing pressures on the environment, and endangering not only public health but also the economy and society as a whole.

To minimize the risk of large-scale shocks in the future, achieving the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has become even more important and urgent.  

As with the COVID-19 pandemic, mobilizing global science action is essential if we are to realize the 2030 Agenda. Recognizing the urgency, science funders and the research community initiated a “Decade of Global Sustainability Science Action” in order to catalyze collective action for accelerating the impact of science and science funding on the achievement of the SDGs.

To this end, science funders have asked the International Science Council (ISC) to convene the insights and ideas of the broader global scientific community on the critical priorities for science that will support and enable societies to accomplish the goals by 2030.

It is in this context that we would like to seek your expert views on priorities for game-changing action in two related domains:

1. science for sustainability transformations, and
2. transformations of science systems.

This is a unique opportunity for the international science community to advise science funders about the support that science needs in order to maximize its impact on the achievement of the SDGs in the next decade.

By sharing your views through this survey before 2 October 2020, you will help to shape the international science funding agenda. All ideas submitted will be mapped and clustered in thematic science missions for the SDGs and presented to science funders in 2021 with the aim of shaping global research and research funding priorities for the coming years as well as of exploring opportunities for strategic collaboration among funders.

We thank you in advance for your valuable contribution and would appreciate your help in disseminating the survey through your relevant networks.