The PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency and The Integrated Assessment Society ran a joint seminar, Integrated assessment for environmental policy in a ‘post-truth’ society on October 6 and 7, 2022 in the Hague and online. The event focused on the underlying elements of the alleged knowledge crisis in order to identify current practices that are used to address contested knowledge in IA, and explore promising, alternative strategies for dealing with this phenomenon. It also provided a platform for participants to exchange views and experiences in various situations associated with the science-policy interface, with an emphasis on IA.
The programme comprised keynotes and short statements by scientists and practitioners who have dealt extensively with the issues at hand. The focus was on current practices in IA that seem particularly relevant in times of contested knowledge and on identifying ‘better’ strategies for the future. The themes presented and discussed included:
- Discomfort with the post-truth society and contested knowledge
- Current IA practices for dealing with contested knowledge
- Environmental assessments and divergent perspectives
- Socio-environment models and their grand challenges
- Promising future practices
A report is being prepared and released with a video broadcast of the seminar by early 2023.