In a feature published by German newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau, IIASA Director-General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber warns of growing currents that undermine scientific evidence and international cooperation – trends he says, that risk dragging societies back toward myth and superstition.

Schellnhuber is quoted in the article as saying that, “the West risks being pulled into a new era of superstition and ignorance, in which scientific knowledge is no longer the guide for societal decisions.” He also emphasizes that, “undermining the credibility of science now threatens global efforts to address the climate crisis.”

The piece highlights his concern that this shift away from evidence-based policy undermines decades of progress in global climate collaboration, urging renewed commitment to science and reason as foundations for collective action.

Read the full article (in German).

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