Integrated assessments for environmental policy in a ‘post-truth society’

16-01-2023 | News item

It is now almost a cliché to refer to the ‘post-truth’ society, implying a knowledge crisis in science and society. But although this phenomenon is widely discussed, the question of what this means for theories, methods and practices of Integrated Assessment (IA) is yet to be answered satisfactorily.

On 6 and 7 October 2022, PBL hosted the joint PBL-TIAS seminar Integrated assessments for environmental policy in a ‘post-truth society’ to explore this question in more detail. The seminar investigated the underlying elements of this alleged knowledge crisis, identified current practices of addressing contested knowledge in IA, and discussed promising and alternative future strategies for dealing with the phenomenon. A brief seminar report, as well as video recordings of the keynote speakers, are now available.

Keynote Prof. Noortje Marres (University of Warwick) – Why we still can’t have our facts back
Keynote Prof. Hans Mommaas (Director-General PBL) - In the center of the science-policy interface…
Keynote Pieter Omtzigt (Member of Dutch Parliament) – A spinning chainsaw should be held by the handle: Models and politics