Future of ES23: The Science wrap-up

On Kyoto Day 2023, IES Policy Lead Joseph Lewis takes a retrospective look at the Kyoto Protocol and the lessons we can learn from the past 18 years of climate communication, not only for the future of transformative climate action, but for the environmental discipline as a whole.

In this expert discussion, the IES teamed up with ecological experts from consultancy and academia to discuss the way that policy around habitats is changing and what that means for the natural world. The discussion reflects on recent policy changes from the new Environmental Improvement Plan to COP15, as well as other developments on biodiversity and habitats.

Ethny Childs, Communities & Partnerships Lead at the IES gives her response to the AR6 Synthesis Report from the IPCC, providing an update on all the latest developments, as well as analysis on what it means for the future of climate action as we work towards transformative change.

Joseph Lewis, Policy Lead at the IES, provides a short history of the scientific method and the changing attitudes in society to the role of science in discovery. This article examines the ways that the scientific method has evolved, in practice and in theory, as well as what the future holds for the way we approach empirical science.

In this article, Ethny Childs brings together experts from air, water, land, and soil science to share their perspectives on emerging issues in environmental science. From disruptive technology to forward-looking perspectives on key natural systems, the contributions offer an expert view on how environmental science needs to develop in the future.

This webinar with Paul Nathanail describes the characteristics of emerging contaminants of concern, explores existing policy and technical tools to deal with them, and provides reassurance on the UK approach to contaminated land management.

Catch up with the webinar recording:

This rapid-fire panel discussion brings together expert speakers presenting on emerging developments on data. Throughout the event, four rapid-fire presentations addressed: the rise of infrastructure-level data collection and observing networks (Ed Hill, National Oceanography Centre), citizen science as a key tool in the battle for healthy rivers (Michelle Walker, the Rivers Trust), machine learning tools and environmental research (Martin Rogers, British Antarctic Survey), and real-time environmental monitoring data and air quality (Tom Reade, Hilson Moran).

Watch the recording:

At the culmination of our second theme on 'the Science', this interactive discussion brought together the themes and ideas from throughout the project so far. Expert panelists shared their view of the future from the perspective of:

• Gary Kass: how do we define and think about environmental science;
• Naomi Holmes: the future of environmental science education; and
• John Tellam: innovative developments in groundwater science.