Future Earth - research for global sustainability
A global alliance
A framework to unify existing bodies
Future Earth: a global platform
for international research coordination
Future Earth
Why? Who?
What?
Will provide the knowledge required for societies in the world to face risks posed by global environmental change and to seize opportunities in a transition to global sustainability
- delivering interdisciplinary research on global environmental change for sustainable development
- strengthening partnership between researchers/funders/users (co-design)
- merging ICSU-sponsored GEC programmes, and attracting new activities / institutions / capacity
A critical juncture for humanity: pace and scale of change exceed safe planetary boundaries
Transition Team
Timeline towards implementation
Transition Team deliverables
- Research strategy
- Institutional design
- Outreach/education/stakeholders
Design
An overall plan with focus on first 3-year implementation by December 2012
17 individual capacity members, 12 ex-officio (ICSU, ISSC, Belmont Forum, UNESCO, UNU, UNEP) and Global Environmental Change Programmes Directors
Answering big societal questions
Organizing Future Earth research
Research
Such as:
- How can humanity feed a growing population within sustainable boundaries of the Earth?
- How can we adapt to a 3 – 4 °C warmer world?
- How can the world economy stimulate innovation processes and support transformation to global sustainability?
A number of “integrated research” themes:
- thematic areas in which interdisciplinary research will be carried out
- populated by existing/new projects
- each overseen by a research committee
- a number of key questions under each theme
The research framework is currently being discussed by the Transition Team and will be finalized after online and regional consultations
How you can take part
Establishing a governance structure
Coming soon
- Sign up for the Future Earth newsletter
- Follow @ICSUnews and #FutureEarth on Twitter
- Establishment of Future Earth Interim Secretariat (January 2013)
- Future Earth symposium at AAAS annual meeting (February 2013)
- European ICSU Members Meeting (May 2013)
Next steps
http://www.icsu.org/future-earth
Future Earth - research for global sustainability
Next steps
Why? Who?
What?
Research
Design