Ministries, administrations, authorities and agencies, and parliaments on national and local levels are among the primary decision-makers that may influence the sustainable management of coastal ecosystems. In an intricately interlinked world, responsible policies depend on scientific knowledge to tackle the complex challenges of sustainable environmental management. Scientific expertise may equip environmental policy with knowledge to better understand and to manage the causes and effects of environmental problems, climate change, loss of biodiversity, and more.
Engagement of policy actors include the following formats:
- Consulting in science policy and environmental policy: A particular duty of ZMT is to give advice to the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen and the Federal Government of Germany as well as its representatives on the level of the EU on issues of marine research, especially its development as well as on matters of scientific cooperation with countries in the tropics. ZMT engages in advising the BMBF in agenda setting for coastal and marine research via the DAM and also KDM and directly, offers regular discussions with scientists to the members of the Bremen Parliament, and invites political representatives to visits to ZMT and its projects in the tropics.
- ZMT is unique in its multi- and interdisciplinary expertise in the tropical belt. This expertise it shares with and is requested to provide to governmental bodies such as the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Federal Foreign Office (AA), the German Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) and institutions (e.g. EU, G7).
- ZMT offers formal consultation services: These services include the preparation of expert reviews, strategy development and participation in committees and advisory bodies.
- The ZMT policy brief series is aiming to inform policy makers on key results of ZMT research, and to provide them with specific recommendations for sustainable environmental policies.
- Leibniz in Bremen Parliament: Delegates of the Parliament as well as the senators and staff of the senate departments exchange with scientists from the Leibniz-institutes in Bremen, Lower Saxony, and Hamburg.
- Stakeholder workshops in research projects in the partner countries: Local and national stakeholders work with ZMT scientists on long-term measures for transferring and merging their respective knowledge.
- ZMT also engages in local and international policy events (UN Ocean Conference, Workshops of UN Bodies).
Contacts