Public consultation and advisory processes are regulatory tools employed to improve efficiency, transparency, and effectiveness of decision-making processes used by various governing bodies, organizations and businesses (OECD, n.d.). Furthermore, consulting the public on key issues increases the scope of information available to governments and policy makers to better inform decision making. Engaging with a wide […]
Public Policy & Decision Making
The Significance of Information in Impact Assessments: A New Paper Co-Authored by EIUI Researcher Ian Stewart
The current crisis unfolding in eastern Europe on Ukrainian soil has brought renewed media attention to the international geo-political stage of the importance of energy infrastructure. How energy is produced, processed, transported, and ultimately consumed plays a dominant role in shaping our world. So does the choice of that energy source. In the context of […]
What is Evidence?
What constitutes evidence varies with decision makers and decision processes. For example, in some contexts, evidence is viewed as the results of research obtained through data collection and analysis. In policy making contexts, however, evidence used in decision-making processes should adopt a holistic approach that identifies multiple streams of knowledge and efficiently synthesizes information to […]
Navigating Towards an Effective Science-Policy Interface
Science and scientific knowledge are utilized in everyday operations of society and policy (van den Hove, 2007). Moreover, scientific knowledge provided by scientists and scientific organizations directly impacts our society through its relationships with decision-making at various government levels (van den Hove, 2007). However, the different needs, expectations, and even language used by those involved […]
Controlling Global Climate Change at COP 26: Moving from Science-Policy Discussions to Meaningful and Timely Action
Image credit: North Cornwall (UK) coastline, P. G. Wells photo. The 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) will meet in Glasgow, Scotland, from 31 October to 12 November 2021 to move the climate change agenda forward from where it left off in Paris in 2015. COP 26 follows a large number […]
New EIUI Paper – Understanding the Role of Information in Marine Policy Development
As world-wide attention continues to focus on serious environmental stresses, including biodiversity loss, e.g., the recently concluded meeting of IUCN World Conservation Congress in Marseille, France; food security, e.g., the UN Food Systems Summit, 23 September 2021; and the impact of climate change, e.g., the upcoming UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of […]
Science-Policy Interface Books EIUI Team Members are Reading This Summer
In the midst of the daily publication of new journal papers that warrant attention, books are often set aside for reading. Much like many other busy researchers, EIUI team members find time during the summer to catch up. Because the science-policy interface arena is very active globally, the line-up of new books in this field […]
News Media and Public Policy Decisions: What Can Public Discourse Tell Us about Community Views on Open Net-Pen Salmon Aquaculture in Nova Scotia?
The news media can be very influential in decision-making processes. Traditional news media are widely used sources for information consumption and they have the means and reach to inform and shape public opinion. Although the news media are often open to political, social, and cultural biases and might not paint the entire picture on […]
EIUI Team Member Warns about the Risks of High Seas Mining in The Conversation
Mining the deep ocean presents significant risks, which decision makers need to consider, according to EIUI team member, Elizabeth De Santo, and co-authors in a 17 August 2020 article in The Conversation, entitled “A rush is on to mine the deep seabed, with effects on ocean life that aren’t well understood.” This article is an […]
50 Years On: The 1970 SS Arrow Oil Spill in Nova Scotia’s Coastal Waters – Science and Decision Making in an Environmental Emergency
On 4 February 1970, the oil tanker SS Arrow ran aground on the rocks of Chedabucto Bay on Nova Scotia’s east coast and four days later about two thirds of the 14,700 ton cargo of Bunker C oil spilled into the Bay. Recently, I collaborated with two Department of Fisheries and Oceans-Bedford Institute of Oceanography […]