It is clear that COVID-19 has drastically changed our world, but how can we use the lessons learnt to build a more resilient and sustainable future? The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the International Science Council (ISC) have drawn on the combined strengths and expertise of the two organizations to help find a way forward.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which has impacted almost every aspect of our lives over the past year, is a warning: We need to step back from business-as-usual onto new transformative pathways to reach the Sustainable Development Goals and the commitments of the Paris Agreement. Systems science is ideally positioned to address global impacts and harness opportunities brought about by COVID-19, as only systemic thinking and approaches can ensure that investment in post-COVID-19 recovery efforts is leveraged to embed the structural changes required for long-term sustainability and resilience with the multiple dividends that these will confer.
To address emerging issues and provide science-based insights to make this possible, IIASA and the ISC brought together experts from all over the world through the IIASA-ISC Consultative Science Platform “Bouncing Forward Sustainably: Pathways to a post-COVID world”. The platform serves as a global hub for consultation, deliberation, and collaboration among scientists, policymakers, and representatives from civil society around four key interconnected themes: Governance for Sustainability, Strengthening Science Systems, Resilient Food Systems, and Sustainable Energy.
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