Environmental Knowledge in Democracy

The position of science is shifting. While in the old conception, science was considered to be outside of policy and society, engagement and participation are increasingly valued in science and knowledge production. Yet, at the same time we also see a parallel trend in which the authority of science is increasingly being questioned. In the context of these developments and trends, it is urgent to reconsider the relation between science, policy, and society. This chapter considers this relation from the perspective of democracy. Such a perspective highlights the importance of thinking about the position and role of science not just in instrumental terms, for example as in improving the uptake of knowledge or organising efficient science-policy-society interfaces, but also in terms of legitimacy and associated democratic values. The chapter will discuss three such democratic values - accountability, diversity and contestation, and humility - to serve as guidance for strengthening the contribution of environmental knowledge to policy and society.