Integration to Overcome Tensions Between Knowledge and Governance in Sustainability Policy -the Case of OECD ‘Focal Points’ for Policy Coherence for Development

Today there is a broad agreement that sustainable solutions for highly complex global challenges (e.g. climate change) depend on scientific expertise and research. However, although science is expected to help decision-makers and ultimately contribute to greater sustainability, political change occurs – if at all – incrementally and remains contested. As a consequence, academic and practical actors make new claims to foster the link between research, policymaking and sustainability. First, some scientists together with environmental NGOs argue in favor of a democratization of knowledge involving not just academics and elites but society in the formulation of research programs and in transdisciplinary research processes (cf. Schneidewind/Singer-Bodowski 2014). Second, there are scientists suggesting that planetary boundaries and environmental threats require exceptional and urgent political measures that need to be implemented – if necessary – against established standards of democracy and global governance (cf. Shearman/Smith 2007). This article criticizes these two positions arguing that decision-making needs to equally reflect knowledge and political interests. Emphasizing scientific evidence about global warming and limited natural resources over democratic decision-making processes means restraining participation and reducing political legitimacy. In contrast, mixing interests with research in ‘evidence-based decision-making for a sustainable transformation of society’ means compromising the autonomy and openness of research. Research and political Utilization therefore need to be strictly separated in order to ensure democratic processes and academic freedom. According to the RIU-model (Böcher/Krott 2016) the link between knowledge and governance is realized through intermediary processes of Integration. How can integration be analyzed und theoretically understood? In the context of increasingly interdependent and global policy processes in the area of sustainability policy this article explores new challenges of integration at the intersection of research and utilization. It offers empirical findings from an analysis of the epistemic community for ‘Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development’ and the circulation of knowledge at the intersection of international organizations and member states. Based on semi-structured expert interviews, participant observation conducted in international meetings organized by the OECD between October 2013 and March 2015 and qualitative analysis of official documents the paper explores the questions: Through what processes was the idea circulated? Who were the actors involved in integration processes? How and what kind of knowledge did they use (and produce)?