Roundtable: Political science research on climate change: Where is the impact, how can it be enhanced?

Abstract

Political science research dealing with environmental politics and policymaking is decades old. Starting with a focus on normative questions and theory development about the relationship between nature and humans, it gradually evolved towards including a broader hands-on, practical orientation. As societal attention to needs for talking especially climate change mitigation increased, so did the contributions by political scientists to understanding and recommending what ‘has to be done’ to do so. Rich research has been and continues to be generated and made available for consultation. Yet, a lack of true impact on, and resonance among, governments and societies appears to be a notable problem. Voices criticizing this output-impact gap have grown, suggesting a somewhat gloomy look at the role of PS in confronting climate change and related challenges. At the same time, more and more natural scientists highlight their sense of having reached their limits of influence, meaning more knowledge will likely not lead to more political and societal action. They call for social scientists to step up and show the pathways towards tackling climate change and avoiding ecological collapse. It thus seems to be more important than ever that PS finds a way to amplify their voice and influence on policymakers and society. This raises the question of where does impact already exist, where is it lacking, and how can it be enhanced? In the roundtable we seek to critically reflect on past and present roles of PS in the practice of environmental politics and policymaking, and we explore ways ahead to increase impact and resonance. We invite speakers with positive and negative perceptions of how PS, so far fares in terms of impact. Alongside more established scholars who have largely defined the field of knowledge, we bring in early-career researchers working with newer approaches, such as cross-disciplinary collaborations with natural science which strive to generate greater impact. The contributions come from broad research fields like governance and international organisations, as well as from more focused sub-themes like grassroots politics and urban planning, with the aim of mapping examples of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ practice in translating research into actions; and to discuss where multipliers of and barriers to impact lie. The objective is to jointly delineate ideas and actionable measures that we, as political scientists, can embrace for amplifying our voice and reach greater impact on the politics of climate change and the many associated challenges.