The science/public-policy dialogue on long-term environmental planning

In September 1992 the European Community acquired a new environmental computer model called ESCAPE. The model, developed by the Dutch RIVM and the British Climate Research Unit, is produced to predict climate changes. About the model, one of the best in its kind, one of the developers states: “escape is not a strictly scientific model (...). It is a policy supporting model, to be located between science and policy. That is why it receives criticism from two sides: science thinks the model is too simple and policy-making thinks it non-transparent” (De Volkskrant, 19 September 1992; translation JG/JK). It should not be too difficult to find many examples like the above in environmental planning. However, in its latest publication CLTM stresses the importance of an effective information flow between scientists and public policy-makers. To improve environmental policy, knowledge from both natural and social science has to be used by policy-makers. Complex scientific knowledge has to be transferred and policy-makers have to make clear what kind of knowledge is important to them. CLTM concludes that the dialogue between public policy and scientific research is inadequate and has to be improved (cf. CLTM, 1990).