Translating Science into Law: Risk and Uncertainty in Science-Policy Interfaces

科学家们一再强调对环境恶化和全球变暖采取行动的紧迫性。在国际环境法领域，科学政策接口（SPIs）代表了任何多边环境协定（MEA）的基石，因为它们是将科学转化为法律的论坛。因此，SPIs是国际环境法中的重要机构，为如何从科学知识中重塑法律的义务提供了关键的见解。我的研究着眼于如何从自然科学和他们的具体风险和不确定性话语的不同投入被重新定义在法律术语，以及是否给予他们的权重是相同的。我的博士研究回答了这样一个问题：“科学知识如何在科学政策界面中转化为法律的义务？”为了回答这个问题，我的研究采取了社会法律的方法，通过环境法与社会和自然科学的相互作用来研究环境法。实证研究，即案例研究和对SPI成员的半结构化访谈，将支持这些发现。本材料将展示风险和不确定性的论述是如何在科学报告、调查结果、政策文件和SPIs内的建议中整合的--合格的和量化的。因此，本研究的目的是了解的决策过程中的SPIs和弥合之间的差距差距往往被忽视的科学和法律。

The urgency to act on environmental degradation andglobal warming has been stressed time and again byscientists. In the field of international environmental law,science-policy interfaces (SPIs) represent the keystone ofany Multilateral Environmental Agreement (MEA) as theyare the fora where science is translated into law. Thus, SPIsare important bodies within international environmentallaw that provide key insight on how legal obligations areshaped out of scientific knowledge. My research looks athow different inputs from natural sciences and theirspecific risk and uncertainty discourse are redefined intolegal terminology and whether the weight given to them isthe same. My doctoral research answers the question 'howis scientific knowledge translated into legal obligations inscience-policy interfaces?' To answer this, my researchtakes a socio-legal approach, examining environmental lawthrough its interaction with social and natural sciences.Empirical research, namely case studies and semistructured interviews with SPI members, will come supportthese findings. This material will show how the discourse ofrisk and uncertainty is integrated - qualified and quantified- in scientific reports, findings, policy documents andrecommendations within SPIs. This research thus aims tounderstand the process of decision-making in SPIs and tobridge the gap often overlooked between science and law.