Science policy isn’t limited to contentious political dialogue or administrative protocol. It’s not not about those aspects of communication, but it also includes on-the-ground outreach, fresh insights on familiar issues, and nimble adaptation of existing policies.
Atmospheric scientists successfully engage all of the above approaches in “Setting the Stage for Climate Action Under the Montreal Protocol.” Stephen O. Andersen, Marco Gonzalez, and Nancy J. Sherman outline how a dozen academic papers informed the Kigali Amendment, which expanded the Montreal Protocol from a treaty focused on protecting Earth’s ozone layer to one adapted to address the drawdown of hydrofluorocarbons and encourage greater energy efficiency.
In its 150-year history, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has also adapted—to shifts in geopolitical balance, wars both hot and cold, and new technologies from air, land, and sea. WMO’s most conspicuous contemporary challenge, however, is neither digital nor diplomatic: It’s the private sector. “WMO Weathered the Cold War, but Can It Survive Capitalism?” asks Bill Morris.
To more effectively address such discourses around data, discovery, and solutions science, the scientific community needs policies to better recruit and retain a broad network of members. These policies can build foundations in undergraduate education, as Melissa A. Burt, Rebecca T. Barnes, Sarah Schanz, Sandra Clinton, and Emily V. Fischer outline in “Mentorship Builds Inclusivity and Belonging in the Geosciences.”
We hope this cross section of science policy stories—both international and intersectional—illustrates how scientists are informing and influencing the world around them.
—Caryl-Sue Micalizio, Editor in Chief