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Table 7-7. Simple typology of emerging issues identificationmodels within the UN systemType Description ExampleStrategicPlannermodelKnowledgeBrokerModelPoliticalAdvisorModelEmerging issues identification takes placeaccording to the organization’s strategicplanning cycles, or in conjunction with internalplanning meetings.Emerging issues identification feeds into anorganization’s knowledge managementprocess, mostly aggregating from varioussources in a comprehensive manner, for publicconsumption and awareness-raising.Closely linked to an intergovernmental processand the political decision-making process,selectively highlighting emerging issues withsignificant relevance for political decisionmaking.WFPstrategicplanningcyclesUNEP“Year inReview”IPCC7.7. Time lags between science and policyAt the heart of strengthening the science-policy interface isthe idea of providing timely scientific and empiricalinformation in an accessible manner to policy makers, inorder to support their informed decision-making. In thepast, there have been long time lags from the identificationof issues and causes by scientists (“confidence incausality” 729 ), to effective policy actions, through toimpacts (e.g., reduction of harm). This section providesempirical data regarding such time lags for a number ofenvironmental issues and discusses the range of factorsthat were responsible for these time lags.Implicit in the view of time lags from scientific identificationto harm reduction is, of course, a belief that evidencebasedsingle-issue policy achieves the intended reductionof risk/harms associated with the identified issue. Reality isnot always that straightforward. For example, single-issuepolicies can have unintended effects in other areas due tosynergies/trade-offs, substitution effects and generallycomplex systems dynamics which are not always wellunderstood.Nevertheless, the selected environmentalexamples provide an empirical background to thepotentials and limitations of any HLPF or other initiativeaimed at shortening the science-policy-impact time-lags.The examples clearly support a cautionary approach.Figure 7-6 provides an overview of science-policy time lagsfor nine selected environmental and health issues: ozonelayer, lead, PCBs, climate change, DDT, tobacco, acid rain,asbestos, and mercury. For each issue, three types of timelagsare shown:Science: From early warning by scientists toscientific confidence in causality.Policy: From effective policy action in one country,to a region and to global action.Impact: From the first policy impact to effectiveimpacts (such as reducing risks related to harm tovery low levels).Figure 7-6. Time lags (in years) between science and policy for selected environmental issuesMercuryAsbestosScience: earlywarning to scientificconfidence causalityGAcid RainTobaccoDDTClimate ChangePCBLeadOzone Layer0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140Policy Action:NationalPolicy Action:RegionalPolicy Action::GlobalG2Impact/HarmreductionSource: Produced by UNEP colleagues and David Gee based on EEA reports 730 and various sources cited in the text of this section.Notes: The timeline for ozone layer and lead are provided in the text, those for PCB 731 , climate change 732 , DDT 733 , tobacco 734 , acid rain 735 , asbestos 736 , mercury 737 canbe found in the footnotes.148