FST BLOG
A voice from the Government
- 11 September 2024
- General
- Charlotte Raynsford, Communication Officer at The Foundation for Science and Technology
As an organisation whose mission it is to bring science and technology together with policy, in a neutral space, it is key to have a Government spokesperson on board every now and then.
For just over 37 years, we have been hosting evening discussions spanning the STEM and policy sphere. Throughout that time, The Foundation for Science and Technology has regularly welcomed notable faces from the UK Government into the audience, and also as expert speakers. In this blog, we have handpicked several evening discussions where a Government Chief Scientific Adviser has joined our panel to help us unpick some topical issues of the time.
Back in 2022, the then Chief Government Scientific Adviser (GCSA), Sir Patrick Vallance joined an expert panel to discuss the science behind the hopes for policy change at that year's COP Climate Change Conference which was to be held in Egypt. Sir Patrick was joined by Professor Mahmoud Sakr, President of the Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, Emma Howard Boyd, Chair of the Green Finance Institute and Professor Jim Skea CBE, Chair in Sustainable Energy at Imperial College. One of the leading outcomes of that year’s conference was agreeing to compensate nations for loss and damage caused by climate change through the setting up of a fund.
Sir Patrick Vallance joined us again the following year for a special ‘In Conversation’ event, shortly after he stepped down from the role of GCSA.
After the country locked down following the fast and tragic spread of Covid-19 in 2020, the role of science in society became not just a topical, but political issue. In this online discussion, we had two former and one future GCSA on our panel. Professor Dame Angela McLean, then Chief Scientific Adviser at the MOD and the current holder of the GCSA role was joined by ex-GCSAs Professor Sir David King (then Chair of Independent SAGE) and Professor Sir Mark Walport (then Chief Executive for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to explore how science and politics should interact, and how best to use these tools to navigate a shifting landscape and a pandemic.
In the late 00’s, we held an event marking the establishment of the Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) programme, a new multi-Research Council, multi-Departmental environmental research programme which aimed to create a more systematic and strategic approach to the problems of environmental change by recognising the interconnectedness of the impacts and drivers of climate change. It was also set up to look at how to mitigate or adapt to these. The then Chief Government Scientific Adviser, Professor Bob Watson sat on our panel of experts to help explore this.
On March 11th 2011, an earthquake hit Honshu, Japan causing a devastating Tsunami. Shortly after this, the country was hit with a nuclear catastrophe at Fukushima and the escape of radioactive material into the atmosphere and sea. Following these tragic events, the Foundation held an evening discussion at The Royal Society to explore some of the implications for nuclear operations in the UK. The then Chief Government Scientific Adviser, Sir John Beddington joined an expert panel to discuss.
Over the years we have heard from many Ministers and senior officials from across Westminster, including the Government Chief Scientific Adviser of the day. In fact, on Wednesday 9th October, we are holding an event with Professor Dame Angela McLean, the current GCSA, who will talk about the challenges of providing science advice, the role of the science and engineering in the civil service, and what it’s like working with ministers and civil servants. You can book your place in person or online here: In Conversation with Professor Dame Angela McLean