Science for Global Transformation – S20 Academies of Sciences meting in Rio de Janeiro

Professor Phoebe Koundouri, Director of ReSEES Laboratory, Athens University of Economics and Business, expressed her honor in representing Academia Europaea as a member of the S20 Task Force 2 on Bioeconomy, the science advisory body for the G20 Heads of State. She shared the recent publication of the G20 Science Network communiqué, which underscores the collaborative efforts between scientific experts and G20 governments and societies. This details the #S20Brasil2024 recommendations, aimed at informing government decisions and guiding the final G20 document, particularly in relation to advancing bioeconomic strategies within global policy frameworks.

Under the motto “Science for Global Transformation,” the S20 Academies of Sciences met in Rio de Janeiro in 2024 to discuss five themes related to the UN 2030 Agenda: (1) Artificial Intelligence; (2) Bioeconomy; (3) Energy Transition; (4) Health Challenges; and (5) Social Justice.

Task force Bioeconomy Recommendations:

1. Invest in research and infrastructure: Support cutting-edge research to drive technological breakthroughs, enhancing innovations in biogenics feedstocks, bioenergy, medicines, and other materials from biomass, forest, plants and microorganisms from the biodiversity of different biomes.

2. Integrate social justice: Promote sustainable and inclusive bioeconomic models, enabling community driven innovations that protect and integrate traditional knowledge and culture, and focusing on leveraging local biological resources to promote regional economic growth.

3. Build robust international and multilateral cooperation: The G20 nations should reach a consensus on the role of the bioeconomy as one of the strategies for tackling climate change, biodiversity loss, poverty, and human and non-human health. Formulate a joint policy framework that enables countries to implement bioeconomy programs, invest in social and technological innovations, share critical knowledge, improve the quality of life, and safeguard natural resources.

Read here:
SCIENCE FOR GLOBAL TRANSFORMATION – S20 Brasil 2024 – Communiqué