Science and sustainable development: what lever in a fragmented world?

For actors in sustainable development, the scientific world is essential: it fuels debate, guides policy and stimulates innovation. However, the fragmentation of the global landscape makes collective action more difficult on sustainability issues and accentuates political divides in the field of science. In the United States as in the European Union, support for sustainability issues is weakening, while concerns related to tariffs, immigration, inflation, energy security and employment dominate the political agenda.

Despite this fragmentation, it is encouraging to note that a space remains to promote science as a unifying profession, capable of transcending nationalities and political ideologies. A concrete example: the third edition of the “Frontiers Planet Prize”, which was just held in Villars, Switzerland.

This international research competition aims to recognize and reward interdisciplinary scientific advances that contribute to keeping the planet within the limits of its nine planetary boundaries. It seeks to accelerate the implementation of solutions for a healthy planet by honoring the “Olympians of science” from around the world.

In total, 19 national champions were selected worldwide by a panel of 100 eminent scientists, led by Professor Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. Among them, three grand laureates were designated and each received a cash prize of one million dollars to continue their research. It is important to emphasize that all the laureates insisted that their research was the result of multidisciplinary and intercultural teams, sometimes spread across several continents.

Among 19 national champions, three grand laureates were designated and each received a cash prize of one million dollars to continue their research.

Portrait of the three laureates

Arunima Malik and her team at the University of Sydney, Australia, conducted an in-depth analysis of international trade flow trends using extensive data. Using various methods to track financial flows and the life-cycle impacts of products over a period of three decades, their study highlights how global trade influences long-term sustainability outcomes.

In summary, this research highlights the impact of the relocation, by high-income countries, of polluting and resource-intensive manufacturing activities to low-income countries. This “burden shifting” externalizes environmental and social impacts, thereby masking those related to consumption in wealthy countries.

Of course, the effects are not all negative: some manufacturing activities can generate net positive outcomes for sustainable development. This study provides policymakers, businesses and civil society with detailed trade statistics, allowing them to assess and design more equitable, sustainable and transparent global supply chains.

The research led by Professor Zahra Kalantari (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden) focuses on nature-based urban solutions (NBS) and carbon neutrality. Her team used spatial optimization tools integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and geographic information systems (GIS) to analyze the specific characteristics of 54 European cities — including land use, population density, existing vegetation cover, carbon emissions hotspots and socio-economic factors.

The Frontiers Planet Prize powerfully illustrates the ability of science to cut through the political noise of our time and inspire collective human action to preserve the limits of our planet.

At the global scale, it should be recalled that cities are responsible for more than 60% of greenhouse gas emissions. They generate heat islands and are particularly vulnerable to flash flooding or fire risks, especially when urban infrastructure is overwhelmed by extreme weather events. The analysis simulated more than 100 urban scenarios to identify optimal combinations of nature-based solutions aimed at strengthening city resilience, reducing their carbon footprint, improving liveability and promoting connections with nature.

Among the solutions considered are urban forest corridors, green roofs, rain gardens, parks and urban wetlands. Expected benefits include improved air quality, reduced urban heat, better stormwater management, as well as a positive impact on public health. Recent digital tools offer European cities an accessible and cost-effective decision support system, enabling the prioritization of green investments at the block or neighborhood scale.

Finally, Dr Zia Mehrabi (University of Colorado Boulder, United States) led a decade-long historical study conducted in 11 countries that evaluated the environmental and social benefits of diversified agriculture and food systems. Her team collaborated with more than 1,000 farmers and analyzed various diversification strategies, taking into account soil health, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, gender equality, the stability of farm incomes and community nutrition.

The results are clear: diversification increased soil carbon rates by 12 to 34%, strengthened insect and bird biodiversity, raised farmers’ incomes by 5 to 15%, and reduced the risk of malnutrition in rural communities. This research offers an evidence-based roadmap to promote a transition to nature-friendly diversified agriculture, beyond dominant monoculture models.

The work of the winning teams offers a source of hope to support the necessary transformations of our urban, commercial and agricultural systems — approaches that are both concrete and achievable. The Frontiers Planet Prize powerfully illustrates the ability of science to cut through the political noise of our time and inspire collective human action to preserve the limits of our planet.

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