Science in a consulting role
Senckenberg steps up its activities at the interface with societal and political actors.
Wellfounded information is required in order to arrive at proper decisions regarding the elementary questions about the structure of life in societies. This information is provided by science – but how does science enter the political arena? Geobiodiversity research as conducted at Senckenberg is important for our wellbeing.
We have the required expertise and would like to serve as “honest brokers” who aid in bringing the consequences of changes in the Earth system to the public’s attention, thereby ensuring an even larger impact of scientific evidence on societal, economic, and political actions. We provide options for action and management recommendations for the protection and sustainable use of nature as the basis of our life.
Besides the wider public, the decision makers in politics and economy, authorities and administrations as well as NGOs are the most important targets of our “Science and Society” program. To ensure that the exchange will be successful, we have expanded our activities in the consulting sector.
- As part of the program “Leibniz in Parliament”that started in 2008, scientists of the Leibniz institutes are offering individual meetings to members of the German Parliament to discuss a variety of topics. With 11 meetings and 6 scientists, Senckenberg was the research museum in highest demand in 2018.
- Participation in the World Biodiversity Council IPBES: Two Senckenbergers contributed as authors to the “Global Assessment,” the most comprehensive description of the state of the ecosystems and their species diversity. The most recent, weeklong author meeting took place at Senckenberg in 2018.
- GeoBioDivNews is a new joint newsletter by the Leibniz natural research museums Natural History Museum Berlin, Museum Koenig in Bonn, and Senckenberg. GeoBioDivNews informs politicians about current issues from the field of geobiodiversity that are relevant for society.
