The role of science assessments in policy making in response to climatic change

Conference · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:470949

Jager, J

The paper traces three scientific debates on issues related to anthropogenic climate change: the introduction of non-CO{sub 2} greenhouse gases into assessments; the assessment of the climate sensitivity; and the changing evaluations of the risk of sea-level rise. These stories illustrate how science assessments affected the perceived urgency of the response as well as showing the nature of climate change assessments and the role they have played in developing a policy response to climatic change. Looking at major assessments of the magnitude and timing of the potential climatic change also gives clear indications of factors that contribute to a successful scientific assessment. These factors include broad international participation, careful preparation of peer-reviewed executive summaries and the avoidance of parallel assessments which require input from one another. The material presented in this paper is based on the output from a major international project on Social Learning in the Management of Global Environmental Risks.

• OSTI ID: 470949
• Report Number(s): CONF-960420--; ISBN 0-884736-02-5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CLIMATIC CHANGE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
GLOBAL ASPECTS
GREENHOUSE GASES
SEA LEVEL