Environmental science takes an average of seven years to influence international policy, study finds

A University of Alicante and Mediterranean Center for Environmental Studies study reveals that it typically takes seven years for ecological findings to be reflected in international environmental policies. This research, published in Cell Reports Sustainability, highlights two major gaps: the disconnect between scientific knowledge and policy-making, and the gap between policy formulation and its implementation.

The study examines how long it takes for scientific concepts to enter major United Nations environmental conventions. It finds that older concepts, those published in scientific literature for longer periods, experience shorter delays in policy integration. The rate of integration also depends on the alignment between scientific and political agendas.

The findings challenge the notion that merely generating scientific evidence is sufficient for translating it into policy decisions. The study further explores the effectiveness of conservation measures, revealing that their success is higher at local or regional scales compared to the global scale. This suggests that while broad international targets are necessary, they must be translated into specific actions tailored to different territories for actual success.

To bridge these gaps, the study suggests adopting knowledge co-production models, where scientists, policymakers, managers, and other stakeholders collaborate from the outset in defining problems and crafting solutions. In the face of rapid climate change and biodiversity loss, the paper stresses that the challenge extends beyond merely generating robust scientific knowledge to ensuring it is swiftly delivered to decision-makers to facilitate effective action.