Plataforma CIPÓ and World-Transforming Technologies (WTT) have just released the policy brief “Rethinking the Role of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in Global Climate and Environmental Governance: Trends from Rio 92 to Today”. The study is authored by Adriana Erthal Abdenur (Global Fund for a New Economy), Lara Ramos (WTT), Gaston Kremer (WTT), Marília Closs (Plataforma CIPÓ), and Valentina Calado Pompermaier (Plataforma CIPÓ), and is available in Portuguese, English, and Spanish.
More than three decades after Rio-92, the document shows that the mobilization of Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) remains central to addressing the interconnected crises of climate, biodiversity, and soil degradation. However, it warns that this will only be possible through the recognition of both the transformative potential of STI and the risks, inequalities, and tensions that may arise from the social, economic, and political processes linked to these agendas.
The study identifies three main trends: the strengthening of critiques against the top-down paradigm of technology transfer; the acknowledgment of STI’s dual role, capable of generating both solutions and negative impacts or inequalities; and the relevance of the so-called “synergies agenda,” which seeks to connect the conventions from Rio-92 with other global frameworks, such as the 2030 Agenda.
According to the authors, the promises associated with STI agendas remain unfulfilled in the face of the worsening ecological crisis. “Concerns are growing both about the climate and environmental impacts of new technologies — such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing — and about the risks that poorly regulated STI instruments pose to society, including from the perspective of climate and environmental justice.”
Among the 20 recommendations presented for negotiators and civil society are: strengthening synergies between conventions; creating mechanisms for effective participation of Indigenous peoples, traditional communities, family farmers, and Afro-descendant populations; reviewing technology transfer models; and valuing local and traditional knowledge. At the national level, the text proposes measures such as creating a climate and territorial data governance policy based on social participation; including data sovereignty as a pillar of a just ecological and digital transition; and establishing Integrated Regional Innovation Centers for Just Transitions.
The recommendations received contributions from representatives of the following organizations and leaders:
Aldrin Perez — Instituto Nacional do Semiárido
Ana Luiza Arraes de Alencar Assis — Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA)
Caroline Giusti Araújo
Gabriella da Costa — Researcher, ITS Rio
Caetano Penna — Center for Management and Strategic Studies
João Arthur Reis — FAPESP | Amazônia+10 Initiative
Lais Alves Moreira Brasileiro
Roselita Vitor da Costa Albuquerque — Polo da Borborema
Fernanda Pinheiro da Silva — Geographer and Researcher, Geledés — Instituto da Mulher Negra
Francilene Garcia — Federal University of Campina Grande
Letícia Leobet — Sociologist and International Advisor, Geledés — Instituto da Mulher Negra
Mariana Belmont — Journalist, Researcher, Climate and Environmental Racism Advisor, Geledés — Instituto da Mulher Negra
Júnior Aleixo — Policy and Program Coordinator, ActionAid
Jessica Siviero — Climate Justice Specialist, ActionAid
Pedro Ivo Ferraz da Silva — Coordinator for Scientific and Technological Affairs and Bilateral Relations, Climate Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE)
Lori Regattieri — Practitioner Fellow in Democracy, Karsh Institute of Democracy, University of Virginia
Lennon Medeiros — Diretor da Visão Coop
Mariana de Paula — Diretora-executiva do Instituto Decodifica
Regine Schönenberg — Diretora da Fundação Heinrich Böll no Brasil
Marcelo Montenegro — Coordenador de Justiça Socioambiental da Fundação Heinrich Böll no Brasil
Brazilian Center for Climate Justice (CBJC).
The policy brief concludes that it is urgent to rethink how science, technology, and innovation are addressed in multilateral agreements: “It is not enough to develop technologies; it is necessary to ensure that they meet the real needs for climate adaptation and mitigation, especially in the Global South.”
