Gil Eyal comes back to UNESCO to debate what is meant by trust in science and how it is to handle climate transition.

Eyal is a Professor of Sociology, Director of the Trust Collaboratory at Columbia University, and expert of the UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab on Trust in Science.

In April 2023, Eyal joined the UNESCO MOST Forum in Paris. The key concern of the Forum was how to tangibly shift societies and economies to finally deliver on the promise of shared prosperity. Eyal says trust in science is critical for policy changes that need to happen. Climate is a clear example.

Listen to him on the need for clarity of the terms “science” and “trust”. Basic or “normal” science is different from regulatory science, with levels of trust varying tangibly across these types. Trusting regulatory science specifically is difficult because changes are happening too quickly, too often, or in the wrong sequence. Thus publics may have valid reasons for doubting or disagreeing with regulatory science. Labelling sceptics as science deniers or focusing on solely fighting misinformation is counterproductive. 

What is to be done? Eyal says trust-building takes time and incremental steps, each followed by concrete and timely results that are well communicated. Front-facing, intermediary staff at access points of expert systems are also critical in this chain. They need to be trusted and not appear as mere “puppets” or “parrots” of the expert system. They also need to be able to signal their distance from the very system they work in/for. A comprehensive approach would entail empowering these intermediary workers, include them in decision making, give them control over the crafting of the messages they need to transmit to the publics, and pay them better.

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Gil Eyal is a Professor of Sociology and former chair of the Department of Sociology at Columbia University. His work is concerned with understanding the dynamics shaping public trust in experts and science. Listen to his podcast with The Policy Nerd here.

The facts, ideas, and opinions expressed in this presentation are those of the presenter; they are not necessarily those of UNESCO or any of its partners and stakeholders and do not commit nor imply any responsibility thereof. The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this piece do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city, or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.