Unlocking successful sustainability : innovative communication strategies for science based policy

Abstract: Environmental policy should be made up of scientific evidence. This thesis paper supports science based policy and its formulation through innovative communication strategies. It is important to be innovative in communicating science when dealing with the policy community as there could be confrontations owing to the nature of relation between science and policy. This is where the professional environment science communicator surfaces to function as a bridge between the science and policy communities in order to ensure the furthering of science into policy. Seen from the point of view of sustainability science, the role of a science communicator is imperative towards communicating science and advocating for science-evidence based policies. The initiative of the professional environment science communicator will have a future impact on the way bills are drafted. Hence, allowing this thesis to make its way into sustainability science. In context, a science communicator is a boundary spanner who sits on the boundary of science and policy, working at a boundary organization. The paper explains six communication strategies and their limitations, as a foundation for furthering the debate. Furthermore, this paper has adopted a case study method and in doing so searches for the innovative aspect in two projects of the Stockholm Environment Institute and how the innovative communication strategy in these projects influenced policy-making in each case. The results section highlights internal and external factors that affect a communications strategy and continues to discuss the innovative aspect in science communication strategies in detail, through comparative analysis. The paper concludes with a suggestion that science communicators need to recognise that their role is that of an innovation broker. This is in the benefit of sustainability science,which will seemingly support one and all. Word count - 13771