New Knowledge Brokerage Platform on Sustainable Consumption

An international consortium launched a project aiming to connect scientific evidence on sustainable production and consumption (SCP) with policy makers’ needs in decision making. Today, the web platform http://www.scp-knowledge.eu has been launched and, in addition to a series of “Policy meets research” workshops, the web platform will be the major tool for brokering relevant knowledge. The first workshop takes place in Vienna on 21-22 October 2010.

The objective of the project “CORPUS”, which is funded by the EU Seventh Framework programme, is to experiment with and develop new integrative modalities of knowledge brokerage within the policy-science interface.

“Often the perspectives and languages of researchers and policy-makers diverge. Therefore, existing knowledge does not have the optimal impact. We aim to improve our understanding of the science-policy-interface and to develop instruments for an intense offline and online dialogue between these two communities”, explained Gerd Scholl from the Institute for Ecological Economy Research, Berlin.

Through the project’s knowledge platform www.scp-knowledge.eu policy-makers can access the latest scientific evidence on sustainable consumption in the areas of food, mobility, and housing. The website provides a platform to network and share knowledge with other professionals. Researchers can use the website to communicate their message more effectively to representatives of ministries and public authorities.

In addition, the “Policy Meets Research” workshops offer practical assistance in evidence-based policy-making for sustainable consumption and an offline opportunity for networking. Each workshop will be a forum of intensive exchange among a selective group of invited experts. In each consumption domain – food, mobility, and housing – three sequential workshops will cover issues such as environmental hot spots, policy instruments and future scenarios.

The first “Policy meets Research” workshop on Sustainable Food Consumption will take place in Vienna on 21-22 October 2010 at the Austrian Ministry for Environment. Herbert Aichinger from the European Commission (DG Environment) is among the confirmed speakers. Interested participants may register here: http://www.scp-knowledge.eu.

Contact
Dr. Gerd Scholl
Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IÖW)
Potsdamer Str. 105, 10785 Berlin, Germany
Phone +49 (30) 884594-20
gerd.scholl@ioew.de
Further information
The project „CORPUS – Enhancing the Connectivity Between Research and Policy-Making in Sustainable Consumption“ is funded by the EU Seventh Framework programme.
The consortium consists of eleven partners from eight European countries. The participants of CORPUS are (Organisation, Country):
Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IÖW), DE
Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management, AT
Copenhagen Business School (CBS), DK
Copenhagen Resource Institute (CRI), DK
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Institute for European Studies (IES), BE
Planète Publique, FR
Regional Environmental Centre for Central and Eastern Europe (REC), HU
Strategic Design Scenarios (SDS), BE
National Institute for Consumer Research (SIFO), NO
Vienna University of Economics and Business, Research Institute for Managing Sustainability (RIMAS), AT

Finnish Ministry of the Environment, FI