S20, the scientific arm of the G20, begins this Monday – 03/09/2024 – Science

Just like the G20, chaired by Brazil this year, the S20 (Science20) will also take place here and will seek to provide recommendations and actions to the world leaders of the world’s largest economies.

The S20 emerged in 2017, being an engagement group linked to the G20 that is relatively recent, compared to the G20 itself, which dates back to 1999. It is the union of the 19 national science academies of countries with the highest GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and the scientific representation of the European community.

While the discussion in other instances of the G20 ends up having a greater focus on economics and development, the business of the S20 is science. Not that these are distant discussions. “All of this depends on science”, says Helena Nader, president of ABC (Brazilian Academy of Sciences).

Brazil will be the eighth home of the S20 meetings, which have already taken place in Germany, Argentina, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Indonesia and India.

Nader is basically a veteran of the event. The edition in Rio de Janeiro will be the fifth in which she will participate. The difference is that this one will be the sherpa — a kind of general leader.

According to Nader, the various meetings that make up the S20 —the opening and division of work will take place this Monday (11) and Tuesday (12)— seek to point out what all these scientific academies propose as relevant for the entire world, including countries in outside the G20.

The 2024 edition of S20 has the motto “Science for global transformation” and will focus on five central thematic axes: bioeconomy, health challenges, artificial intelligence, social justice, energy transition process.

Nader reinforces the importance of looking at all these topics without leaving aside the social aspect. “We’re talking about bioeconomy. Everyone knows what it is, but it needs to be looking at the social aspect. The bioeconomy cannot be disconnected from the territory, just like the energy transition. If you only look at the economic aspect and don’t look at the social aspect, it won’t work. right”, says the sherpa.

The meetings, as with the G20, will be spread throughout the year.

According to Nader, Brazil, as the host of the S20, arrives without the intention of pushing a ready-made final document to other nations, a leadership strategy that has already caused problems, for example, in the Indian edition. “Countries didn’t want to sign the document,” he says.

The idea is to create a document that reflects what all the actors present think. Basically, at the end of S20, a detailed document is created and shared between the academies. This larger document generates a smaller one and the indications that are forwarded to the G20.

Nader states that the convergence of ideas is also important because of the 2030 agenda, which can be summarized, in a generic way, as an action plan for sustainable development.

“Without convergence, it won’t happen,” says the Sherpa. “The 2030 agenda is coming to an end and we are far from achieving the 17 objectives.”

In addition to national academies, the Brazilian edition brings as a novelty the presence of other international scientific organizations. The participation of IAP (InterAcademia Partnership), ISC (International Science Council), TWAS (World Academy of Sciences), IANAS (Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences), and AASSA (Association of Academies and Societies of Sciences of Asia) are confirmed. ).

Finally, the geopolitical tensions present in the G20 do not gain as much shape in the S20, according to Nader.

But, logically, politics and science overlap in several aspects. The Sherpa cites what has been happening with Argentine scientific policy under the government of Javier Milei. Argentina is also part of the G20.

The Argentine president cut the Ministry of Science and Technology from the country’s structure and significantly reduced the budget of Conicet (National Council for Scientific and Technical Research).

There has been international reaction because of the Argentine scientific situation. ABC itself has already demonstrated, in a statement, “deep concern regarding the recent statements and actions of the government” Milei and offered solidarity to the Argentine scientific community.

Recently, 68 Nobel Prize winners stated, in a letter to the Argentine president, that the country’s science “is approaching a dangerous precipice.” The laureates ask Milei to back down on budget cuts to Argentine teaching and research institutions.

“The political vision is very narrow-minded. It doesn’t understand what science is for,” says Nader.