Mobilising social science for nature recovery

Delivering nature recovery is as much a social, institutional and political challenge as an ecological and technical one. Realising its ambitions therefore requires social science knowledge and expertise to form part of an integrated evidence base, so that policy and practice can understand not only what nature needs, but the people, institutions, relationships and systems through which recovery has to be delivered.

This is the headline finding from a recent report by the Task Force on Nature Recovery within the ACCESS Programme (Advancing Capacity for Climate and Environmental Social Science) funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

The report's key messages:

• Nature recovery is best understood as a social-ecological challenge.
• The social sciences therefore have a broad and critical contribution to make.
• However, while the social sciences are widely recognised as relevant, their potential is rarely fully realised.
• This is a systemic issue, shaped by how the wider nature recovery evidence-policy-practice system enables or constrains social science contribution.
• This points to the need for practical improvement across the nature recovery evidence-policy-practice system.

The report identified five interconnected priorities for action:

1. Broaden and clarify the purpose of the social sciences
2. Strengthen routes into policy and practice
3. Support active use, not just evidence supply
4. Recognise and value different forms of influence
5. Build the conditions for sustained contribution

The report and policy brief is available here: Delivering Nature Recovery: Realising the Potential of the Social Sciences.

Task Force member (and former Natural England Deputy Chief Scientist) Professor Gary Kass, set out the full spectrum of the Task Force’s key messages in this webinar, highlighting the connected priorities for strengthening the contributions of social science to the essential task of nature recovery.

Dr Nick Kirsop-Taylor, a Senior Lecturer in Environmental Policy and Governance at the University of Exeter and fellow Task Force member, joined Professor Gary Kass in a Q&A to further discuss the findings of the report. 

Watch the webinar below to learn more.