Why (not) Trust Politics and Climate Science?
On Monday, 19 May 2025, climate science will meet practical philosophy and psychology at the next Science-In-Perspectives Talk. Students, researchers and the interested public are cordially invited.?
An intact relationship of trust between society, science, and politics is crucial to addressing the climate crisis. Climate protection measures can only be meaningfully discussed based on climate science. Likewise, the enforceability of political decisions depends significantly on the general acceptance of political processes. If the credibility of climate science or political processes is questioned, this foundation begins to falter.
SiP Talk #12
As part of the Science-In-Perspective (SiP) Talks, researchers from D-GESS invite their colleagues from other departments to discuss current social issues from an interdisciplinary perspective.
At SiP Talk #12, philosopher Nadia Mazouz (Professor at D-GESS), climate scientist and Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sonia I. Seneviratne (Professor at D-USYS) and psychologist Viktoria Cologna (Collegium Helveticum) will discuss trust relationships in politics and climate science. The starting point for the discussion will be the question of how trust and mistrust toward politics and climate science mutually influence each other – and whether the talk of a “crisis of trust” is actually justified.
The SiP Talk will take place on Monday, 19 May at 6.15 pm in the RZ building, room F 21 at Clausiusstrasse 5. It will be followed by a public aperitif in the GESS Lounge. ETH members and external guests are cordially invited. Admission is free of charge.
The Interplay of Trust in Politics and Climate Science
Recent studies, including an external page international study involving panellist Dr. Viktoria Cologna, show that trust in climate researchers is lower than in other scientists. This mistrust appears to be closely linked to political polarisation and influences the willingness to support climate protection measures.
But what does it actually mean to trust political institutions and climate science? What societal and political factors influence whether people develop trust or mistrust toward politics and climate science? Why does trust play a central role in dealing with challenges like climate change? And when is trust justified?
Philosophy understands trust as a social process based on shared norms, openness, and responsibility. Only under these conditions can trust remain sustainable in the long term and serve as a basis for collective action. At the same time, mistrust also plays an important role, for example in critically questioning power dynamics and demanding accountability. Trust and mistrust are thereby not in opposition to each other but form a dynamic that is essential to democratic processes.
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