Science Decade Pushes Ideas From Research Into Real-World Action

The International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development runs from 2024 to 2033, creating a global framework for connecting scientific knowledge with progress across the Sustainable Development Goals.

Scientists, policy specialists and sustainability experts are calling for a stronger push to turn existing research into practical solutions, arguing that many of the tools needed to address climate risks, water insecurity and other development challenges are already available but need better governance, investment and cooperation to reach communities at scale.

That message shaped the Regional Dialogue on the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD), hosted virtually by the UNESCO Office in Venice on 21 July 2026. The event brought regional experts together to explore how science, innovation and partnerships can support more resilient, equitable and sustainable societies, following the first IDSSD Global Conference held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris days earlier.

Science Decade Records Fast Growth in Its First Two Years

The International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development runs from 2024 to 2033, creating a global framework for connecting scientific knowledge with progress across the Sustainable Development Goals. Samuel Partey, Head of the UNESCO Venice Science Unit, presented results from the initiative's first two years and highlighted the scale of participation already taking shape.

A total of 396 initiatives from 79 countries across all UNESCO regions have been submitted, while activities associated with the decade address all 17 SDGs. Confirmed funding has reached $50 million, with projected financing estimated at $200 million, making the programme the fastest operationalisation of a UN Decade of comparable scope.

Growth has not been evenly distributed across regions, and participants identified gaps in coordination that can make it difficult for scientific advances to influence governance and everyday decision-making. Proposed areas for improvement include research assessment, access to scientific infrastructure, stronger science-policy connections, protection of scientific freedom and ethical oversight of emerging technologies.

The Bigger Challenge Is Delivering What Science Already Knows

The strongest message from the dialogue was that sustainable development increasingly depends on delivery rather than discovery. Research has already produced many solutions that could address environmental degradation, climate resilience, water management and other development pressures, yet scientific knowledge does not automatically become effective public policy or reach communities that could benefit from it.

The panel included Michael Scoullos of MIO-ECSDE, Holly O'Donnell of Aberdeen Group, Maciej Zalewski of the European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology and UNESCO's Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme Council, and Mitja Jermol, UNESCO Chair on Open Technologies for Open Educational Resources and Open Education at the Jožef Stefan Institute.

Their discussion placed governance, partnerships and open science at the centre of stronger delivery. Scientists, governments and communities need regular two-way exchanges rather than scientific findings simply being passed to policymakers at the end of a research process. Public trust also depends on transparency, accessible knowledge and meaningful opportunities for people to engage with scientific decisions that affect their lives.

Investment and Interdisciplinary Work Can Take Solutions Further

Scaling successful scientific projects emerged as another priority. A promising pilot may demonstrate that a solution works, but reaching wider populations requires sustained investment, supportive institutions and partnerships capable of adapting the approach to different economic, environmental and social conditions.

Interdisciplinary research can make that process more effective because climate change, water insecurity, biodiversity loss and development pressures rarely exist as separate problems. Combining scientific expertise with nature-based approaches to water management and climate resilience can create several environmental and social benefits from the same intervention, giving policymakers more integrated options for responding to complex challenges.

The dialogue also highlighted the value of cooperation between governments, universities, research institutions, civil society, international organisations and businesses, particularly when knowledge, funding and implementation capacity are spread across different sectors.

Responsible AI Becomes Part of the Sustainable Development Debate

Artificial intelligence featured prominently as both an opportunity and a governance challenge. Participants recognised its potential to strengthen scientific research and innovation, while stressing that its use must remain grounded in ethical principles, transparency and meaningful human oversight.

Equitable access was considered equally important. If advanced technologies remain concentrated in a small number of countries or institutions, their benefits could deepen existing scientific and economic inequalities rather than reduce them. Wider access to knowledge, digital infrastructure and technological capabilities will therefore shape how effectively AI contributes to sustainable development.

As the International Science Decade moves through its early years, the Regional Dialogue presented science as more than a process for producing new knowledge. Its wider value lies in connecting people, institutions and ideas so that evidence can become practical action, successful solutions can reach larger populations and scientific progress can support development that is both sustainable and widely shared.