Science Plan
Edited by Pier Vellinga and Nadia Herb
With collaboration from the Industrial Transformation Scientific Planning Committee and Focus Leaders
   

1. Industrial Transformation Scientific Planning Committee

Pier Vellinga (Chair)	Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
David P. Angel	Clark University (USA)
Theo J.N.M. de Bruijn	University of Twente (The Netherlands)
Cutler J. Cleveland	Boston University (USA)
Jacqueline M. Cramer*	Tilburg University (The Netherlands)
Sukehiro Gotoh	National Institute for Environmental Studies (Japan)
Rajendra K. Pachauri	Tata Energy Research Institute (India)
Gerhard Scherhorn	Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy (Germany)
Robert H. Socolow	Princeton University (USA)
Charles Vlek	Groningen University (The Netherlands)
Thomasz Zylicz	Warsaw Ecological Economics Centre (Poland)
*Ex-Officio

2. Industrial Transformation Focus Leaders

Energy and Material Flows

Preety Bhandari	Tata Energy Research Institute (India)
Cutler J. Cleveland	Boston University (USA)
Thomasz Zylicz	Warsaw Ecological Economics Centre (Poland)

Food

Ken Green	Manchester School of Management (UK)
Luis Vieira	EMBRAPA (Brazil)

Cities

Hidefumi Imura	Kyushu University (Japan)
Richard Rockwell	University of Michigan (USA)

Information and Communication

Sukehiro Gotoh	National Institute for Environmental Studies (Japan)
Nigel Roome	Erasmus University (The Netherlands)

Governance and Transformation Processes

David P. Angel	Clark University (USA)
Ulrik Jörgensen	Technical University of Denmark (Denmark)
Raúl O'Ryan	Universidad de Chile (Chile)
Amara Pongsapich	Chulalongkorn University (Thailand)

3. Others with significant input to the development of the Science Plan

Yinka Adebayo, Harry Aiking, Stefan Anderberg, Xuemei Bai, Richard Berk, Pieter van Beukering, Joop de Boer, Jariya Boonjawat, Sander de Bruyn, William Clark, Pradeep Dadhich, John Ehrenfeld, Aldo Femia, Marina Fischer Kowalski, Peter Groenewegen, Joyeeta Gupta, Roebyem Heintz, Edgar Hertwich, Friedrich Hinterberger, Marjan Hofkes, Frank den Hond, Peter de Janosi, Somporn Kamolsiripichaiporn, Marleen van de Kerkhof, Onno Kuik, Haasje van de Mandele, Bert Metz, Laurie Michaelis, William Moomaw, Steve Morgan, Masaru Moriya, Peter Mulder, Vicki Norberg-Bohm, Eric Odada, Marcella Ohira, Tongroj Onchan, Hans Opschoor, Armando Rabuffetti, Lucia Reisch, Ramine Shaw, Andrew Sors, Leena Srivastava, Karl Steininger, Paul Stern, Richard Tol, Mauricio Tomalsquim, Harmen Verbruggen, Ans Vollering, Helga Weisz, Eric Welch, Monika Winn, Ernst Worrell, Nese Yavuz, and Oran Young
 
 

Timeline of Activities
1996, March	Scoping Report drafted
1996, May	Approval of Scoping Report by the IHDP Scientific Committee
1997, June	Presentation of Tentative Framework of the Research Agenda (Human Dimensions Open Meeting - IIASA, Austria)
1998, February	Establishment of the Industrial Transformation Scientific Planning Committee
1998	Organisation of 8 Regional Workshops
1999, February	Open Science Meeting/Review of (Draft) Science Plan
1999, June	Presentation of the Second Draft Science Plan (Human Dimensions Open Meeting - IGES, Japan)
1999, December	Approval of Science Plan by IHDP Scientific Committee, publication and distribution
2000	Establishment of a Scientific Steering Committee to guide the implementation of the Science Plan
2000	Establishment of an International Project Office
2000 - 2005	Implementation of the Industrial Transformation Science Plan

Contents

List of Tables, Figures and Boxes

Preface

Acknowledgements

Executive Summary

1. Global Environmental Change and Industrial Transformation Research
    1.1 Global Environmental Change and the Human Dimensions
    1.2 Characteristics of Industrial Transformation Research
        1.2.1 Overarching Goal
        1.2.2 Operational Goal of the Science Plan
        1.2.3 Industrial Transformation Research Characteristics
        1.2.4 Related Policy Initiatives
    1.3 Systems Change and the Global Environment

2. A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Transformation Research
    2.1 Introduction
    2.2 Multi-Disciplinary Co-operation in a Systems Approach

3. International and Geographic Aspects of Transformation Research
    3.1 Geographic Perceptions and Priorities
        3.1.1 OECD Countries; from End-of-Pipe to Industrial Transformation
        3.1.2 Countries with Economies in Transition (CEITs) and Newly
                 Independent States (NIS); Industrial Transformation in Parallel with
                 Political Transformation
        3.1.3 Newly Industrialised Countries (NICs); the Challenge of Leapfrogging
        3.1.4 Giant Developing Countries; Managing Multiple Transformations
        3.1.5 Least Developed Countries (LDCs); Industrial Transformation in the
                 Context of Meeting Basic Needs
        3.1.6 Industrial Transformation in Differing Geographies of the World
    3.2 Focus on Systems
    3.3 Systems Change, Time Frame, and Global Interdependencies

4. Research Foci
    4.1 Introduction
    4.2 Energy and Material Flows
        4.2.1 Rationale
        4.2.2 Research Questions
    4.3 Food
        4.3.1 Rationale
        4.3.2 Research Questions
    4.4 Cities
        4.4.1 Rationale
        4.4.2 Research Questions
    4.5 Information and Communication
        4.5.1 Rationale
        4.5.2 Research Questions
    4.6 Governance and Transformation Processes
        4.6.1 Rationale
        4.6.2 Research Questions

5. Programmatic Links
    5.1 Interactions between the Industrial Transformation Project and other
          Global Environmental Change Projects

6. Next Steps

7. References

8. World Wide Web References

9. Abbreviations and Acronyms

Appendix I.
International Activities on Production and Consumption Patterns and Industrial Transformation

Appendix II.
International Consultative Process to Identify Research Priorities -  Industrial Transformation Meetings and Workshops

Appendix III.
Research Ideas/Proposals Submitted to the Industrial Transformation Secretariat in 1998-1999

Appendix IV.
Research Approaches to Support the Industrial Transformation Science Plan

Appendix V.
Candidates for Inclusion in Comparative Research on Cities

IHDP Report Series

List of Figures, Tables and Boxes

Figures
Figure 1        Tentative Framework for Industrial Transformation Research
Figure 2        Development Stages in Corporate and Societal Response
Figure 3        Societal Responses to the Issue of Environment
Figure 4        Industrial Transformation Research Foci
Figure 2.1     Tentative Framework for Industrial Transformation Research
Figure 3.1     Development Stages in Corporate and Societal Response
Figure 3.2     Societal Responses to the Issue of Environment
Figure 4.1     Industrial Transformation Research Foci
Figure 4.2     The Food Consumption and Production System
Figure 4.3     Industrial Transformation and Sustainable Development of Cities
Figure 4.4     Cities and the Hydrological Cycle

Tables
Table 1        Key Research Questions for Industrial Transformation Research
Table 4.1     Key Research Questions for Industrial Transformation Research
Table 4.2     Framework and Potential Research Topics of the Cities Focus

Boxes
Box 4.1       Technology Innovation for Global Change: Role of Assessment,
                   R&D, and Regulation
Box 4.2       Dynamics of Technology and Long-Term Energy Scenarios
Box 4.3       The Asian Dilemma Project
Box 4.4       Private Sector Initiatives
Box 4.5       European Eco-Efficiency Initiative
Box 4.6       The Household Metabolism Effectively Sustainable (HOMES)
Box 4.7       PROFETAS
Box 4.8       FCPS in Latin America and Global Environmental Change
Box 4.9       Shopping, Cooking, and Eating: Strategies for Sustainable
                    Household Consumption in Europe
Box 4.10     IGES Urban Study Project: Challenges and Opportunities for
                   Rapidly Growing Cities in Asia
Box 4.11     Industrial Transformation, Urbanisation, and the Environment in the
                   Asia-Pacific Region
Box 4.12     Information and Communication Systems Organisers
Box 4.13     Toward Clean Shared Growth in Asia
Box 4.14     Co-Evolution of Society-Nature Interactions in the Course of
                   Industrial Modernisation

Preface

Industrial Transformation research has the challenging goal of understanding the ways in which society could combine economic and social development with the reduction of pressure on the environment. Thus it is a topic of high political and societal relevance. The need for an interdisciplinary, international framework for this research stimulated the selection of Industrial Transformation as a core science project of the International Human Dimensions Programme (IHDP) on Global Environmental Change.
In 1996 the IHDP Scientific Committee requested Pier Vellinga, Director of the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) of the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam to initiate and co-ordinate preparations for the development of a Science Plan on Industrial Transformation. A Scoping Report and a Tentative Framework of the Research Agenda on Industrial Transformation were prepared and provided the basis for the establishment of a Scientific Planning Committee (SPC) in February 1998. Throughout 1998, the Industrial Transformation SPC organised eight regional workshops for researchers interested in Industrial Transformation. The results of the eight workshops, the background documents and additional discussions by the SPC contributed to the development of a Draft Science Plan that was discussed in depth at the Open Science Meeting, held in Amsterdam at the end of February 1999.
Subsequently, that draft has been significantly adjusted on the basis of input and comments received. This final Science Plan is the result.
On behalf of the IHDP, we would like to thank all those who have collaborated in the design, development, drafting and reviewing of this Science Plan. In particular, we wish to acknowledge the commitment of Pier Vellinga to the long and challenging process of producing this plan. His vision and determination have been essential throughout. We would also like to thank Nadia Herb, Els Hunfeld, and the other staff of IVM, who provided support as this plan was developed and discussed. Furthermore, the hard work of the members of the Scientific Planning Committee and Focus Leaders is gratefully acknowledged, as well as the input from many researchers at meetings held throughout the development of the plan and through reviews of various documents.
We look forward to the implementation of this important and challenging research. The IHDP will continue to provide its full support in the further development of the project.

Eckart Ehlers                                                           Jill Jäger
Chair, IHDP-SC                                                       Executive Director, IHDP

Acknowledgements

This Industrial Transformation Science Plan is the product of a major co-operative effort over the last two years. Most notably, I would like to express my gratitude to the continuous support and assistance of the Scientific Planning Committee and the Focus Leaders. This dedicated group has demonstrated vision and energy in developing this dynamic research agenda.
Many others made significant contributions to past drafts of this Science Plan and other supporting documents and deserve recognition for their hard work: Yinka Adebayo, Harry Aiking, Stefan Anderberg, Xuemei Bai, Richard Berk, Pieter van Beukering, Joop de Boer, Jariya Boonjawat, Sander de Bruyn, William Clark, Pradeep Dadhich, John Ehrenfeld, Aldo Femia, Marina Fischer Kowalski, Peter Groenewegen, Joyeeta Gupta, Roebyem Heintz, Edgar Hertwich, Friedrich Hinterberger, Marjan Hofkes, Frank den Hond, Peter de Janosi, Somporn Kamolsiripichaiporn, Marleen van de Kerkhof, Onno Kuik, Haasje van de Mandele, Bert Metz, Laurie Michaelis, William Moomaw, Steve Morgan, Masaru Moriya, Peter Mulder, Vicki Norberg-Bohm, Eric Odada, Marcella Ohira, Tongroj Onchan, Hans Opschoor, Armando Rabuffetti, Lucia Reisch, Ramine Shaw, Andrew Sors, Leena Srivastava, Karl Steininger, Paul Stern, Richard Tol, Mauricio Tomalsquim, Harmen Verbruggen, Ans Vollering, Helga Weisz, Eric Welch, Monika Winn, Ernst Worrell, Nese Yavuz, and Oran Young.
I would like to express my thanks to all those who attended the regional workshops and the Open Science Meeting, the many researchers who submitted research ideas and proposals, and the numerous other colleagues who have reviewed this research agenda and provided input along the way.
The IHDP Secretariat and its Scientific Committee has been tremendously supportive throughout the process. I would like to extend special thanks to Jill Jäger and Larry Kohler, without whose leadership this Science Plan and the Industrial Transformation Project would not be possible.
The development of this Science Plan, through the workshops and Open Science Meeting, has been possible through generous funding provided by the IHDP, EU-ENRICH, START, APN, the City of Kita-Kyushu, IGES, UNEP, US-NSF, Boston University, IAI, Brazilian National Academy of Sciences, Brazilian Human Dimensions Programme, TERI, IIASA, EU-DG XII, the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Netherlands Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). I thank all these organisations for their continued support of this project.
Finally, I would like to thank the Institute for Environmental Studies and the Industrial Transformation Secretariat staff, in particular Nadia Herb and others, for their help in the finalisation and production of this Science Plan.

Pier Vellinga
Chair, Industrial Transformation Scientific Planning Committee

Executive Summary

Characteristics of Industrial Transformation Research
This Science Plan on Industrial Transformation research is one of the four international science projects co-ordinated by the International Human Dimensions Programme (IHDP) on Global Environmental Change (The other IHDP science projects are: Land-Use and Land-Cover Change (LUCC), co-sponsored by IGBP; Global Environmental Change and Human Security (GECHS); and Institutional Dimensions of Global Environmental Change (IDGEC) (see IGBP and HDP 1995; IHDP, 1999a; and IHDP, 1999b).) IHDP is initiated and co-ordinated by the international research community and provides a unique forum and institutional setting for its science projects.

Industrial Transformation research seeks to understand complex society-environment interactions, identify driving forces for change, and explore development trajectories that have a significantly smaller burden on the environment. It is based on the assumption that important changes in production and consumption systems will be required in order to meet the needs and aspirations of a growing world population while using environmental resources in a sustainable manner. Appendix I outlines some of the activities and priorities of production and consumption research in other organisations worldwide.

The focus on systems and systems change research makes this project unique and different from the present mainstream of environmental research.

To set certain limitations as to what would qualify as Industrial Transformation research, four general characteristics are defined:
1. Industrial Transformation research deals with the relationship between societal, technological, and environmental change;
2. Industrial Transformation focuses on systems and system changes that are relevant in view of the global environment (such as the energy system, the food system, and the urban system);
3. Industrial Transformation research relates producer and consumer perspectives, including the incentives and institutions that help in shaping these perspectives; and
4. Industrial Transformation research is international in scope.
 

Multi-Disciplinary Co-operation in a Systems Approach
The definitions and approaches described above imply that Industrial Transformation research is multi-disciplinary in character. It builds on the foundations of a range of social science disciplines including economics, sociology, psychology, human ecology, anthropology, political science, geography, and history, as well as on the foundations of natural sciences such as physics, chemistry, biology, and technological sciences.

To provide a framework for the co-operation required between various disciplines, a matrix was developed (Figure 1). The rows reflect the disciplinary research fields that each have a certain tradition (outlined in Research Approaches to Support the Industrial Transformation Science Plan 1999), while the columns describe a set of human activities aimed at meeting specific human needs. Through this multi-disciplinary approach, the Industrial Transformation Project strives to build on existing pillars of research and draw from expert communities while developing new research topics and radical approaches.

Figure 1: Tentative Framework for Industrial Transformation Research with research fields/disciplinary approaches in the rows and human needs/ activities in the columns.

Systems in the framework of Industrial Transformation research are defined as a chain of interrelated economic activities aimed at providing a specific need for society (e.g., energy, food, water, shelter, and transport). Such a system includes the actors (government, producers, and consumers), the flow of goods and/or services they deal with (including the metabolism along the chain), and the overall physical and institutional setting in which they operate.

Industrial Transformation goes beyond the notion of process efficiency and "green" products, and beyond the domain of single sectors. It is about system innovation, both technological and institutional. Industrial Transformation cannot be planned by a single actor or a single sector. Moreover, transformation involves geographic scales that transcend a single country or a single continent.

Systems change research builds on ongoing research and policy analysis. To demonstrate this, the stage model shown in Figure 2 illustrates the four stages in the evolution of societal response to environmental issues since the 1960s. This stage model must not be seen as a static approach; it is dynamic and the phases illustrated have no strict borders.


Figure 2: Development Stages in Corporate and Societal Response.

In some cases system changes in the past have occurred as a result of scientific and technological developments that through their progressive adoption replace existing systems (for example, the steam engine and, at a later stage, information technology). System changes have also occurred as a result of technical and institutional innovation inspired by societal problems (for example, the green revolution was driven by concern about food shortages). In many cases system changes are driven by a combination of societal concerns, economic/technological opportunities, and societal ambitions. System change comes about relatively quickly when such factors are mutually reinforcing.

Changes in the way human needs and preferences are met imply a reconsideration of sectors and inter-sectoral co-operation. Different sectors are likely to get involved simultaneously. The food, energy, and information systems, for example, are global and are deeply embedded in local cultures and institutions. They are also intertwined and have important global interdependencies. Consequently, transformation will take time, on the order of decades, and requires the engagement of society as a whole. It is arbitrarily estimated that systems change, as compared to end-of-pipe measures, takes place along time scales on the order of 10 to 25 years, and geographic scales that go beyond continents. Figure 3 tentatively illustrates the relation between various response modes, the time scale, and the geographic scale involved.


Figure 3: Societal Responses to the Issue of Environment.
 

International Consultative Process to Identify Research Priorities

The systems that qualify for Industrial Transformation research range from the provision of basic human needs such as water, food, energy, and materials to different categories of needs such as shelter, communication, recreation, and financial services. As the priorities for research on any of these systems in the framework of the international Science Plan depend on the impact on the global environment and the added value of international co-operation, an international, bottom-up participatory process was followed to identify priority research fields. (Appendix II lists all workshop and meeting participants involved in this process).

To discuss the overall framework and the priorities for research, eight regional workshops were held respectively in:

• Eastern Europe (Laxenburg, Austria, March 26-27, 1998);
• South Asia (New Delhi, India, April 4-5, 1998);
• East Asia (Kita Kyushu, Japan, June 24-25, 1998);
• Southeast Asia (Bangkok, Thailand, July 28-30, 1998);
• North America (Boston MA, USA, September 24-25, 1998);
• Western Europe (Brussels, Belgium, October 13, 1998);
• Latin America (Sao Paulo, Brazil, November 12-13,1998); and
• Africa (Nairobi, Kenya, November 16-17, 1998).

At the regional workshops the overall framework was reviewed and specific transformation research fields were prioritised (see Regional Workshops 1998 Summary Report). During and after the regional workshops many research ideas and proposals were also submitted to the Scientific Planning Committee (Appendix III). These proposals helped to shape the Science Plan and identify the specific research questions.

The regional workshops were followed by an Open Science Meeting held in Amsterdam (see Industrial Transformation Open Science Meeting Report). At that international meeting, the overall research framework, the foci for research, and the submitted research ideas/proposals were extensively discussed. The Science Plan was finalised on the basis of the discussions at the Amsterdam meeting and extensive correspondence within the various working groups thereafter. The research agenda for the Industrial Transformation Project must set certain limitations, so priority research questions were identified for the foci, as summarised below. The Industrial Transformation Science Plan will remain an evolving and dynamic framework for developing research.
 

Research Foci

It was clear that the energy system, in view of its environmental implications at global and local levels should be a major focus for research. During the elaboration of this focus it was decided to include the flow of materials because of the major links between Energy and Material Flows.

Food production and consumption were prioritised due to their relation to biodiversity issues and the major impact on the environment throughout the food production, processing, transport, consumption, and waste cycle. International interdependencies were another argument for including a focus on Food. Moreover, the potential connections between climate change and food production made this a priority topic.

Water and transport were two other topics raised in nearly all workshops. In view of the important spatial aspects of water and transport, it was ultimately decided to include these issues in the more generic focus of Cities.

A special focus added to the priorities of the Science Plan is Information and Communication. Developments in this field are considered to be one of the major driving forces in societal transformation and have important implications for the global environment. Since Information and Communication is a major driver for transformation, it can also be seen as a cross-cutting theme embedded in each of the research foci.

Finally, two research topics were raised in many of the workshops and the Open Science Meeting: transformation processes and governance. Both are cross-cutting themes that focus on generic aspects of Industrial Transformation. It was ultimately decided to combine the two in a single focus, Governance and Transformation Processes, with emphasis on analysing and understanding the driving forces that are changing the way society relates to the environment.

It is not by accident that these foci directly reflect the natural sciences issues and concerns regarding the major global biogeochemical cycles such as the carbon - climate change - energy connection, and the nitrogen - biodiversity - food connection. Water and transport have been selected in the context of urban development (Cities) as these systems have geographically specific components. The research foci ultimately selected through the process as described above are illustrated in Figure 4 below.


Figure 4: Industrial Transformation Research Foci, as selected through an international consultative process, including eight regional workshops and an Open Science Meeting.

For each of these foci, a small number of research questions have been identified as relevant for transformation research (see Table 1). Not all research questions will simultaneously be addressed in the implementation phase; the Industrial Transformation Project will actively pursue a small number of research projects and will endorse other research projects in line with the goals of the project. Some of the questions will receive priority attention while others will be developed at a later stage. The organisation of comprehensive international research projects will also depend on the initiatives taken in the field and the funding opportunities available. The list of research questions for each focus (Table 1) should thus be seen as a priority list of research opportunities and a starting point for the implementation of concrete research projects. Moreover, the Science Plan will remain an evolving and dynamic framework for developing research.
 

Table 1: Key Research Questions for Industrial Transformation Research.
 

Research Focus	Key Research Questions
Energy and Material Flows	From geographical, sectoral, and company levels, what are the strengths, and the nature, of the relations between energy and material use, technological change, and economic performance? How will international trade in energy, investments in energy infrastructure (production and distribution), and the related flows of energy and materials be affected by international treaty regimes, for example the Framework Convention on Climate Change and related protocols, and the WTO? What are the technical, economic, and social driving forces for the private energy sector towards the development of low carbon technologies and markets? What is driving and/or pulling consumer needs and preferences in the field of energy and material use, and what institutional, socio-psychological, and technical arrangements would influence purchasing, investment, and lifestyle towards a significantly lower level of environmental effects?
Food	What is the feasibility of "de-linking": is it possible to meet growing needs and changing preferences while simultaneously reducing environmental impacts? What are the regional differences in sustainability of different FCPSs (food consumption and production systems), and what role do FCPSs play in regional development?  What are the global trends and what solutions can be envisaged? Which measurement tools can be used/developed to measure progress in the sustainability of the FCPS? How do regional policies affect the contribution of FCPSs to global environmental change and how could they be redesigned?
Cities (focus on Transport and Water)	What are the opportunities and constraints to de-couple transport from the carbon cycle? Why is the transport/carbon budget different from one city to another? How can systems be redesigned to minimise negative effects both locally and remotely, seen from technological, spatial, and institutional perspectives? How can the need for water be de-coupled from effects on the hydrological cycle? Why do these effects differ from city to city? How can technological, spatial, and institutional redesign help to reduce the negative effects of water use?
Information and Communication	What is the role of global environmental change in the strategic decisions of leading companies in the electronics, information, and communication technology sector? In what ways can the new technologies alter the overall system of production and consumption to raise standards of living while contributing to materials efficiency and reducing burdens on the global environment?  How will information and communications technology influence society and lifestyle and through this alter the way environmental resources are used? To what extent do changes in information and communication enable the development of an international civil society supporting international and local discourses about global environmental change among and in society, the scientific community, and policy and decision-makers?
Governance and Transformation Processes	How does systemic change in society-environment relations occur and what processes shape the relation between socio-economic activity and the natural environment, both historically and in the contemporary period? What contemporary transformation processes might be harnessed to the goal of systemic change in society-environment relations? What are the most powerful supra-national and non-state driving agents for global environmental change? What is the role of the state in a globalised context in promoting global environmental change? What are successful models of policy intervention, with special attention paid to the societal context?

Programmatic Links

The Industrial Transformation Project is linked to, and should be viewed in the context of, the four international programmes addressing global environmental change issues (IHDP, the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), and the International Programme of Biodiversity Science (DIVERSITAS)). There are several links between the issues addressed in the IHDP science projects: the Land-Use and Land-Cover Change (LUCC) Project has direct links with the Food focus, the Institutional Dimensions of Global Environmental Change (IDGEC) Project provides insight for all of the Industrial Transformation research foci, and the Cities focus is related to the Global Environmental Change and Human Security (GECHS) Project. The four IHDP science projects are interacting with the more natural sciences focussed programmes such as WCRP, IGBP, and DIVERSITAS. Through combined international conferences, and where possible, local research co-operation, the links between the primarily social sciences programme (IHDP) and the primarily natural sciences programmes on global environmental change will be maintained.

Next Steps

Developing this Science Plan is a major step in the creation of a large, collaborative effort on Industrial Transformation under the umbrella of IHDP. The next step is the implementation phase, including the set up of an International Project Office that will facilitate communication, promotion, and the implementation of concrete research projects.

With the endorsement of this Science Plan, a Scientific Steering Committee will be established to guide the implementation of this research agenda. This committee and its members will help to develop the research initiatives while endorsing and co-ordinating the research efforts carried out by research groups located in different parts of the world through workshops and regular assessments of the state of the art. The Industrial Transformation Project will actively pursue a small number of research projects and will endorse other research projects in line with the goals of the project. IHDP itself does not have funds for research. It does, however, have the capacity to open doors and assist researchers in shaping their projects and identify promising research funding opportunities. In fact, the call by the research community, including funding agencies, for international research co-operation in the field of human dimensions of global environmental change is one of the major driving forces behind the establishment of IHDP.