Climate change, biodiversity and data for health emergencies: read the new G7 Science Academies statements

What are the G7 counties?

The Group of Seven (G7) countries are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US.  The G7 Leaders' Summit is presided over by the UK and aims to unite leading democracies to help the world build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic and create a greener, more prosperous future.  

Science Academies of the G7 countries

The Science Academies of the Group of Seven (G7) countries are the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), the Académie des sciences, Institut de France, the German National Academy of Sciences, Leopoldina, the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, the Science Council of Japan (SCJ), the UK Royal Society and The National Academy of Sciences (NAS).

Science and the G7 Leaders' Summit

Led by the UK’s Royal Society, these academies launched their science agenda ahead of the G7 leaders’ summit in the UK in June. Scientists outlined in three statements the pressing global issues that they believe the G7 states should urgently address: Creating a net zero climate resilient world, tackling biodiversity loss, and improving the use of data in pandemics. 

The three statements (click below to read them) are:

• A net zero climate-resilient future – science, technology and the solutions for change

• Reversing biodiversity loss – the case for urgent action

• Data for international health emergencies: governance, operations and skills

As explained by a press release of the Royal Society, 2021 could be a historic turning point for renewed global coordination on climate change, reversing biodiversity decline, and global health emergencies. But the action in these areas must be based on greater cooperation and collaboration between the G7 nations and a greater level of ambition and investment in the technologies and big science and economic ideas that can deliver a more sustainable and healthier world.

Sir Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society, said, “Science and technology are at the heart of many of the solutions the world needs. However, to solve our biggest challenges, we need to rapidly leverage the science solutions available to us now while increasing investment in research into the technologies that hold the most promise for the next 30 years and beyond. Taking action to handle the major environmental crises that exacerbate inequality and threaten humanity’s future must start with the G7 governments.

“To drive the pipeline of big science ideas and technologies, the world’s scientists will need to be supported to collaborate and pursue many different paths. The G7 nations have a great capacity, and a great responsibility, to support the research and policies for the rapid transformation that is needed, as we aim for a world that is greener, safer, and healthier for all.”

An evidence-based technology road map to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions is among the positive science solutions that the science academies are calling on the G7 governments urgently to consider and adopt. As the world’s wealthiest economies, strong leadership is needed from the G7 nations to advance rapidly the next generation climate technologies that will be needed in the next 10 to 30 years to create the net zero world of 2050.