Overline: Virtual discussion panel

Headline: Sustainability, the Covid-19 Crisis and the Responsibility of Science

The current Covid-19 Pandemic brings to the fore the urgent need to address sustainability as a global, complex, systemic and societal problem. Society no longer sustains people living within the dynamics that govern our environment. Long-term strategies have been missing, inadequate policies have been adopted, and a profound change is needed when dealing with the sustainability conundrum in times of global pandemics, financial crises, etc.

Solutions to complex, interconnected sustainability challenges cannot be found solely through technological advancement and innovation. Engaging substantively between the academic strengths of sciences, humanities and the needs of the other sectors of the society (Businesses, Governments, Civil Society) is essential for being able to address the integrated social, economic, and technical sustainability problems effectively. Working together, we need to identify and learn to operate the leverage points that can bring about substantive change in critical factors and thus move all sectors and components of society toward sustainable futures with justice and equity. Science and scientific institutions have a major role and responsibility in this process.

The series of workshops of the GSSF project will close with the Virtual Panel "Sustainability, the Covid-19 Crisis and the Responsibility of Science. The role and responsibilities of scientific institutions in the transformations towards sustainability actions" to reflect and put forward the key insights and recommendations that have emerged from the last expert’s workshop. It will focus on the responsibility of scientific institutions and administrations in the context of the pandemic to address sustainability and transfer of knowledge to promote sustainable transformations in future recovery efforts.

Panel Speakers:

• Heide Hackmann, CEO of the International Science Council
• Andrej Heinke, Vice President, Corporate Foresight and Megatrends, Robert Bosch GmbH
• Reinhard Huettl, Chair of the Board of Science Advice for Policy by European Academies
• Gary Dirks, Senior Director, Global Futures Laboratory and Director, LightWorks, Arizona State University, USA, former CEO of BP in Asia

Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_P4gBkGpyTee94GH2Nhzzmw