From Research to policy: Academic Impacts on Government - The UK Foresight Programme 12 March 2012
Professor Sandy Thomas – Head of Foresight
Foresight Helps Government make decisions today which are robust to future uncertainties
Examples of previous Foresight projects
Migration and Global Environmental Change
Intelligent Infrastructure Systems
Global Food and Farming Futures
Land Use Futures
Tackling Obesities: Brain Science Future Choices Addiction & Drugs
Mental Capital and Wellbeing
Flooding & Coastal Defence
Detection & Identification of Infectious Diseases
Cyber Trust & Crime Prevention
Who is involved? Ministerial/High Level Stakeholder Group
Expert Advisory Group
GCSA
Foresight team
Core experts
International contributors
Stakeholders eg NGOs, RCs
Scientific & Engineering Experts
Reviewing the evidence Urbanisation
State of play data gathering
Competition for land Waste
Population trends Income distribution Price volatility
Climate change impact
Food system today
Water Energy and carbon policy
Consumption Governance Globalisation
Projected demand for food
Projected supply of food
2010-2050 Modelling review 1. 2.
Data initiative Modelling
Economics & Modelling Second Meeting
Agriculture & ecosystem services
Food chain Workshop Livestock production
Marine capture Inland fisheries Aquaculture Post harvest “Aqua� Meeting
Agricultural investment
Horizon Scanning Meeting
Crop production Ref: Global Food and Farming Futures
Two recent projects… Global Food and Farming Futures:
Migration and Global Environmental Change:
Three key messages:
Three key mesages:
• Radical redesign of the global food system
• Millions will be ‘trapped’ in vulnerable areas and unable to move, particularly in lowincome countries.
• “No action/change” is not an option • Policies and decisions outside of the food system also critical
• People will increasingly migrate towards environmentally vulnerable areas. • However, migration can transform people’s ability to cope with environmental change
Achieving impact – UK policy Flooding
Flooding & Coastal Defence
Obesities
Mental capital
Mental Capital & Wellbeing
Evidence into action – FCD Flood and coastal erosion risk management (FCERM) planning Policy 35_06
Policy statement
Issued 01/08/08
Our policy is to adopt a strategic approach to flood and coastal erosion risk management (FCERM) planning. We will base our investment decisions on assessments of flood risk1 and legal obligations. We will only invest in further plans, actions or projects where there is a sound and justified reason for doing so. We need good quality planning to ensure the right solutions go forward for further appraisal and funding.
Document details
This policy applies in England and Wales. It is our policy to: promote high level strategic policy plans for Flood Risk Management (FRM), namely:
Taihu Basin
Catchment Flood Management Plans (CFMPs) for river catchments; and Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) for coastal cells; employ a range of investment decision and delivery plans, projects and actions to progress the most appropriate (that is, sustainable), cost effective and focused approach to achieve our FRM policies and objectives;
References
Objectives
work with others and consider wider objectives in our FRM planning to achieve multiple benefits where possible.
The objectives of this policy are to ensure that:
we secure the best outcomes from our investments by targeting our resources where the risks are greatest and ensure we deliver best value for money;
the role of CFMPs and SMPs is understood in establishing FRM policies, which intend to deliver sustainable flood risk management in the short, medium, and long term; Objectives continued on next page
Flood and Water Management Act 2010 1 Defra Ministerial Statement, November 2000
Feedback
Contact for queries Steve Cook
Useful web-links: • Foresight: http://www.bis.gov.uk/foresight • Horizon Scanning Tool Kit: http://hsctoolkit.tribalhosting.net/ • Government Office for Science: http://www.bis.gov.uk/go-science • Department of Business Innovation and Skills: http://www.bis.gov.uk/