Rising global temperatures, extended droughts, and the growing spread of disease are some of the severe impacts of climate change, according to the President of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) Council, Professor Thokozani Majozi.
Speaking at a recent Science20 (S20) meeting in Pretoria, Majozi noted that no region is immune to these effects, which range from wildfires in the Americas and Australia to catastrophic flooding in Europe and Asia.
“Climate change does not recognise national boundaries, making international scientific cooperation not just beneficial but essential,” he said.
The meeting highlighted the urgent challenge of climate change.
“This issue transcends borders, economies, and political systems. The evidence is unequivocal: our climate is changing at an unprecedented rate due to human activities,” the Professor warned.
S20 is the official engagement group for science academies within the Group of Twenty (G20) to foster science-based dialogue and provide policy advice.
Established in 2017, its mission is to promote scientific cooperation and ensure that scientific perspectives influence G20 decisions on global challenges.
The G20 is an international forum of both developing and developed countries that seeks to find solutions to global economic and financial issues.
Under South Africa’s G20 Presidency, three foundational themes shape political and scientific discussions: solidarity, equality, and sustainable development.
He outlined the key responsibilities of the scientific community, which include advancing our understanding of climate systems and their effects on human health and wellbeing.
The Professor also urged his colleagues to communicate complex scientific findings in ways that can inform both policymakers and the public. In addition, he emphasised the importance of fostering collaboration across natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.
Majozi believes in nurturing the next generation of scientists who are equipped to address these complex challenges, and he advocated for the integration of indigenous and local knowledge systems with traditional scientific approaches.
“We are not merely repositories of knowledge but active participants in shaping how that knowledge is applied to real-world challenges,” he added.
Led by the ASSAf, this year’s S20 gathering is particularly significant, as it marks the first time the G20 is hosted on the African continent.
The Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Professor Blade Nzimande, addressed the meeting virtually and called for global scientific cooperation and evidence-based policymaking.
Nzimande emphasised the connection between the S20 theme, “Climate change and well-being,” and South Africa’s overarching G20 theme of “Solidarity, equality, and sustainability.”
“These themes do not merely serve as reminders of the urgent need for science-driven policy responses to challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and global inequality,” he said.
“They also highlight that today’s fundamental challenges are interconnected, demanding multidisciplinary approaches, collaboration, and decisive science-based action.”
Priorities and skills development
Nzimande outlined key science, technology, and innovation priorities that will define South Africa’s G20 leadership.
These include, among other initiatives, enhancing our capacity for pandemic preparedness; promoting research and development in emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence; and integrating these technologies into essential economic sectors such as energy, agriculture, mining, health, and the digital economy.
It also it involves developing critical and advanced skills, including through the Presidential PhD Programme.
The Minister stressed the crucial role of the S20 meeting in shaping the broader G20 Research and Innovation Working Group discussions, which will culminate in a ministerial meeting in September 2025.
President of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, Professor Helena Nader, applauded South Africa for highlighting the topic of climate change and wellbeing, especially considering recent global floods and storms.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the United States National Academies Policy and Global Affairs Division, Dr Vaughan Turekian, praised G20 members’ long history of collaboration and expressed his desire for it to expand through the S20. – SAnews.gov.za
