About SSCCRN
The focus of SSCCRN is to establish climate change research projects in partnership with other sectors.
As a first principle SSCCRN undertakes to do research that is specifically relevant, wanted and developed in conjunction with other sectors. It is through the building on of social dimensions and drawing on social science research, that the issue of climate change can be dealt with effectively.
SSCCRN aims to:
• Provide a forum for the integration of social, economic, political and institutional information into the science of climate change, and inform policy
and decision making.
• Establish discrete research projects in conjunction with others that will deliver on ground outcomes.
• Build the capacity of social science research into climate change research overall.
• Provide a base for agencies and individuals wishing to know more about or learn how to address the social, economic, political and institutional impacts
of climate change.
• Provide samples of models and frameworks addressing climate change to be accessed at local levels.
Much work has been undertaken in relation to equity issues regarding the implementation of climate change strategies, and policies such as Kyoto
(Aldy et al. 2003). However, to date little work has been done to assess and analyse strategic planning responses based on good social science research in
relation to addressing climate change at local scales.
It is increasingly being recognized that solutions to the problem of climate change are social, economic, political and institutional in nature. There is
also growing recognition of the need to build on and respond to climate change science by developing broad, multi-disciplinary policy platforms, and
research programs that address these issues.
Integrating science with social science in these contexts is unavoidable and has multiple benefits once applied. The integration of social science
methodologies with science creates the conditions where inter-disciplinarity can be used as a tool for forging action on climate change.