ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the framing of climate change as a scientific and as a policy problem; the "translation" of scientific evidence in policy and socially relevant issues is focused on and it is argued that such "translation" needs to provide the bridge between the problem to be tackled and the way/options for tackling it. It analyzes the role of knowledge and values, and their expression through quantitative and qualitative statements, in the context of the Kyoto negotiations and examines the "Kyoto legacy" in terms of open issues to be addressed after Kyoto. The chapter addresses the influence of policy and social needs/demand on research development and identifies the improvement of the science, policy, and society interface as a main challenge. The analysis focuses on the European Community context and addresses the specific role of the European Community—since 1993 incorporated in the newly established European Union—as a distinct actor bridging national and international levels of policymaking.
