Geoethics is essential for tackling global human-caused changes. It integrates ethical considerations into geoscience, improving policy and decision-making. Geoscientists must provide accurate, transparent, and unbiased data to policymakers, ensuring decisions reflect environmental, social, and economic impacts. In times of rapid climate change, resource overexploitation, increasing risks, and environmental damages, geoethics promotes sustainable, just, and respectful geoscience practices. This framework encourages scientifically sound, socially responsible, and environmentally sustainable actions, building trust between scientists, policymakers, and the public through transparency, accountability, and community engagement. In practical terms, integrating geoethics into policymaking and decision-making involves:
a) Building Trust: Highlighting the importance of transparency, accountability, and community engagement in fostering trust between scientists, policymakers, decision-makers, and the public.
b) Transparent Communication: Clearly sharing scientific findings and uncertainties with all stakeholders to support informed and democratic decision-making.
c) Inclusive Practices: Involving local communities, indigenous peoples, and marginalized groups to ensure their voices are heard and their rights respected in geoscientific work.
d) Sustainable Solutions: Focusing on long-term sustainability over short-term gains to ensure resource extraction and land use do not compromise future generations' needs.
e) Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Working with other fields like sociology, economics, and political science to address complex environmental issues holistically.
f) Geoscience Education: Training young people to understand Earth system complexities and prepare the next generation of geoscientists to address global challenges.
By fostering a culture of ethical responsibility, geoscience can guide actions that mitigate adverse effects, promote resilience, and contribute positively to society. Ultimately, geoethics strengthens the capacity of geoscience to inform and influence policy, fostering a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
This session aims to collect and stimulate discussions about ideas, initiatives, project outcomes, tools (including new technologies), and case studies that highlight the positive contributions (as well as exemplify failures) of geoscientists in informing the decision-making and policy-making processes.
a) Building Trust: Highlighting the importance of transparency, accountability, and community engagement in fostering trust between scientists, policymakers, decision-makers, and the public.
b) Transparent Communication: Clearly sharing scientific findings and uncertainties with all stakeholders to support informed and democratic decision-making.
c) Inclusive Practices: Involving local communities, indigenous peoples, and marginalized groups to ensure their voices are heard and their rights respected in geoscientific work.
d) Sustainable Solutions: Focusing on long-term sustainability over short-term gains to ensure resource extraction and land use do not compromise future generations' needs.
e) Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Working with other fields like sociology, economics, and political science to address complex environmental issues holistically.
f) Geoscience Education: Training young people to understand Earth system complexities and prepare the next generation of geoscientists to address global challenges.
By fostering a culture of ethical responsibility, geoscience can guide actions that mitigate adverse effects, promote resilience, and contribute positively to society. Ultimately, geoethics strengthens the capacity of geoscience to inform and influence policy, fostering a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
This session aims to collect and stimulate discussions about ideas, initiatives, project outcomes, tools (including new technologies), and case studies that highlight the positive contributions (as well as exemplify failures) of geoscientists in informing the decision-making and policy-making processes.