6. Knowledge is power: pushing the boundaries of science and technology

Progress powered by learning

Sustainable development is as dependent on good science as it is on good intentions. Without a robust scientific framework within which to work, problems cannot be quantified. Nor can appropriate goals be set.

Some of the most significant international environmental agreements of recent years draw heavily on evidence gathered and analyzed by physical scientists. The massive body of research reviewed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, for example, represents the cutting edge of research in physics, chemistry, geology and biology, among other disciplines.

On a regional scale, research in the life sciences is shedding light on the impacts that environmental degradation has on ecosystems and the species that populate them.

The social sciences, meanwhile, play a crucial role in understanding the challenges facing people and communities in developing countries. The post-Rio decade has seen valuable advances in ecological economics and social anthropology, among other fields..

Science not only helps to define problems. In its applied form, it also underpins effective solutions. Technology may not hold the answer to every crisis facing humanity, but it can certainly address some of them. Technology-based solutions range from the low-tech, such as fuel-efficient wood stoves developed for rural Indian families, to the technically sophisticated, such as drought-resistant crops and mobile Internet access.

Science is, of course, blind. The applications to which scientific knowledge is put depend on judgments by governments, regulators, businesses and consumers. Recent developments in the field of biotechnology have stirred a sense of unease among the general public, and highlighted the fact that scientific innovation per se is not necessarily a force for good. For proof of that, one needs look no further than the proliferation of nuclear and biological weapons.

Too often, government support for technological development has failed to take a responsible stance on ecological and social impacts.

During the last decade, promising developments have taken place in all of the major branches of technology. Fuel cell research has edged forward substantially, bringing forward the prospect of clean transport fuels and the so-called "hydrogen economy." Genetic engineering, for all its potential risks, has enabled farmers to curb their use of toxic chemicals.

Meanwhile, industry, in part motivated by ever-stricter environmental legislation, continues to make valuable advances in such areas as cleaner production and eco-efficiency. For business, an investment in research and development is commonly rewarded with lower costs and reduced liabilities, not to mention a polished reputation.

The challenge for the future is twofold. On one hand, decision-makers must ensure that sufficient funding is directed to those areas of research that have a direct bearing on sustainable development. On the other, new channels of communication must be opened up between science and policy-making, to ensure that critical decisions are based on rational assessment rather than subjective opinion.