WASHINGTON — Science academies from the G-7 nations today issued three statements recommending that their governments take urgent action to build a net-zero emissions, climate-resilient future, reverse global declines in biodiversity, and improve data-sharing for future health emergencies.   

The statements are intended to inform discussions during the G-7 summit in June to be held in the United Kingdom, as well as ongoing policymaking.

“Our shared future on the planet depends upon international cooperation, collaboration, and initiative on these critical issues,” said U.S. National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt. “With science as their guide, G-7 nations can — and should — help lead the way toward a more resilient, sustainable world for us all.”

Building a Net-Zero Emissions, Climate-Resilient Future [pdf]

This is the moment for the G-7 member countries — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States — to demonstrate leadership and commit to drive forward mitigation of and adaptation to climate change, the academies’ statement says. Greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced at a faster pace if global warming is to be limited to well below 2 degrees Celsius, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. The G-7 nations should plan and accelerate action to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 or earlier.

All G-7 governments should develop an evidence-based technology road map to net-zero emissions that is informed and continuously updated by bringing together scientists, economists, and social and behavioral scientists. In addition, they should accelerate the pace of change by increasing public and private sector investment in the key research and development challenges on the road to net-zero and effective adaptation. They should also work together to support middle- and low-income countries on the path to a climate-resilient, net-zero emissions future.

Improving Data for International Health Emergencies [pdf]

As the COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control, the G-7 nations should champion the cause of establishing health data as a global public good, the academies said. There is an opportunity now to learn from international responses to COVID-19, and the G-7 nations should capture this moment to help build a trustworthy and trusted international data system for health emergencies. The governments of the G-7 nations should establish a commission to agree on how to achieve this. The initial aim of this commission could be to identify procedures for data-sharing that were used in response to COVID-19, which might be adopted for longer-term use in G-7 and other nations.

The nations of the G-7 and beyond should work together to adopt principle-based governance systems for securing safe sharing and use of data for health emergencies; build and implement the operational systems, infrastructures, and technologies for implementing a principle-based and privacy-preserving approach to equitable use of data for health emergencies; and foster the skills and capabilities at all levels — from the general public to health professionals — needed for trusted and accurate use of data.

Reversing Biodiversity Loss [pdf]

Biodiversity describes the different genes, species, and ecosystems that comprise the biosphere and the varying habitats, landscapes, and regions in which they exist. Today, Earth is losing biodiversity at a rate not seen since the end of the Cretaceous Period 66 million years ago, with the best available data suggesting that the planet is on the brink of a mass extinction event. Humans are the cause, placing demands on nature far exceeding its capacity to provide the goods and services people depend on.

The G-7 nations should work together to raise the ambition to halt and start to reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, the statement says. For example, working in close collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders, these nations should develop new approaches to valuing and accounting for biodiversity, in ways that can be integrated into all forms of decision-making, including national economic policy, and in ways that reduce economic, social, and health inequalities associated with the impacts of biodiversity loss. The G-7 nations also should support the development of a global monitoring network to strengthen countries’ attainment of biodiversity targets, assist with regional and global assessments, and support conservation planning.

The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, technology, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln.

Contact:
Sara Frueh, Senior Media Officer
U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Office of News and Public Information
202-334-2138; e-mail news@nas.edu

• Joint Science Academies Statements on Global Issues (G-Science)