This article reflects on the role of Frontiers Policy Labs in bridging science and policy, highlighting the need to move beyond analysis toward actionable solutions for the environmental crisis. It emphasizes the inclusion of the private sector, social sciences, and humanities in addressing biodiversity loss, natural capital erosion, and structural societal challenges, advocating for collaborative, solution-oriented approaches that go beyond technocratic or purely technological interventions.

Tackling plastic pollution through coordinated action across global, national, and local levels is both an environmental imperative and a climate solution, essential to safeguarding ocean and planetary health, argues Anja Brandon, Director of Plastic Policy for the Ocean Conservancy.

The convergence of AI and consciousness science demands anticipatory, globally inclusive governance to promote ethical progress and address issues of neuroprivacy, bias, and equity, say Marcello Ienca, Joseph Fins, and Debra Mathews of the International Neuroethics Society.

Science and science advice: a defining moment? explores the evolving role of science and scientists in policymaking amid societal complexity, polarization, and uncertainty. It highlights challenges in trust between society, governments, and research institutions, and considers how science advice can remain effective, inclusive, and evidence-based. The article emphasizes collective intelligence, the role of honest brokers, and the importance of iterative, context-sensitive approaches to navigating complex policy landscapes.

Strengthening the International Ecosystem for Scientific Advice examines the growing global and European efforts to build more coordinated, resilient, and inclusive science-for-policy systems. Drawing on recent initiatives by INGSA, the European Commission, and national advisory communities, the article outlines the opportunities and challenges of linking diverse advisory structures, reducing fragmentation, and enhancing institutional capacity for evidence-informed policymaking. It highlights the importance of connectivity, mutual learning, and principled approaches to scientific advice—especially in a period marked by geopolitical uncertainty, technological transformation, and complex societal challenges.

Science advice in challenging settings is an increasingly relevant issue and there is value in ‘slow conversation’ to explore the challenges and co-create paths forward. This series aims to address some of the recent challenges that emerged in conversations that have taken place through the INGSA Europe community. We invite contributions to this ‘slow conversation’ to explore more deeply how science advice can be effective today and lay evidence based foundations for the future that is being created.

Five years after its launch in November 2020, the Frontiers Policy Labs has grown into a global initiative connecting thousands of readers and contributors worldwide. Born out of the COVID-19 crisis, the Labs explore how open science can inform policymaking, addressing challenges from pandemic responses to sustainability, AI, and biotechnology. Guided by the principle of rethinking the world with science, the Labs aim to develop evidence-based policies for a rapidly changing world, where old frameworks no longer suffice. Looking ahead, priorities include ensuring a healthy planet, responsibly guiding AI and biotechnology, and addressing global security. To support this mission, the new Science House initiative will bring together leaders from science, policy, and industry at the 2026 World Economic Forum. As JCB notes, “Our first five years were just the beginning… we still have a long way to go.”

The Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2025 report, published by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with Frontiers, highlights breakthrough innovations shaping the future of energy, information technology, and sustainability. During a panel discussion focused on the report, experts explored how fusion energy, green chemistry, and next-generation sensing systems are advancing from research to real-world impact. Key themes included AI as a cross-cutting enabler, the centrality of energy to global transformation, and the need for patient capital and societal readiness to scale these technologies.

Cardiovascular health for all demands national action plans that integrate precision approaches based on globally representative research—enabled by leadership committed to equitable access and context-relevant implementation, says Prof Amam Mbakwem, World Heart Federation, Nigeria.

Hybrid proteins face complex regulatory hurdles, and regulatory sandboxes could help balance safety, innovation, and consumer acceptance on their path to market, say Dr Alessandro Monaco and Prof Kai Purnhagen (University of Bayreuth, Germany)

Scaling hybrid proteins requires supportive policy and financing frameworks to reduce the hidden costs of the global food system while strengthening sustainability, resilience, and food security, says Dr Helena Wright (FAIRR Initiative, London, UK).

A growing number of Global South governments and academics are now calling for an international non-use agreement on solar geoengineering, says Prof Aarti Gupta of Wageningen University, the Netherlands.

The rights, leadership, and knowledge of Inuit Peoples must be foundational to geoengineering and other climate policies affecting their Homelands, ensuring meaningful participation and avoiding unfair burdens, emphasizes Sophie Crump, Inuit Circumpolar Council, Greenland.

The Earth BioGenome Project is scientifically viable and globally coordinated—but success now hinges on strategic policy leadership, sustained funding, and unrestricted data access, asserts Prof. Richard A. Gibbs, Baylor College of Medicine, USA.

This commentary expands on Kurt Vandenberghe’s call for science-based climate policy by stressing that the climate crisis is, at its core, a global energy crisis with cascading impacts on health, biodiversity, equity, and security. It critiques oversimplified narratives like single temperature thresholds, arguing instead for a focus on replenishing natural capital and addressing interconnected human-driven crises. While past global challenges, such as ozone depletion, had clear scientific, technological, and political solutions, climate change requires a far more complex, transdisciplinary, and bottom-up approach. The article emphasizes that citizens—not just policymakers—must be empowered to shape resilient futures, and that science must move beyond diagnosis to help deliver actionable, collaborative solutions aligned with human well-being and planetary resilience.

“No Place to Hide: Science Is the Foundation of Policy” calls for urgent, science-driven climate action. With global temperatures already surpassing 1.5°C, the EU places science at the heart of its Green Deal, climate law, and upcoming 2040 framework. The message is clear: climate policy is not just about nature—it is about security, resilience, and economic survival. Science provides the evidence, innovation, and solutions we need, but action requires breaking silos, effective communication, and shared responsibility across all sectors. The EU’s upcoming climate adaptation plan and investment in resilience show the path forward. The research community is central to this mission, and their work fuels the hope of a safer, stronger, and more sustainable future. There is no time to wait—together, we must act now.

A holistic, microbiome-informed approach to agrifood systems and childhood nutrition policies—rooted in global collaboration, evidence-building, and equitable innovation—can drive sustainable solutions to undernutrition and improve children’s health worldwide.

Dr. Abdelbagi M. Ismail explores how scientific innovations, strategic partnerships, and policy reforms, led by organizations like the International Rice Research Institute, are crucial for achieving sustainable food security in Africa and globally amid mounting environmental and population pressures.

Disruptive approaches such as NANOSPRESSO could help provide equitable access to advanced therapies for patients with rare diseases worldwide, as called for by the recent World Health Assembly Resolution on Rare Diseases, highlight Alexandra Heumber Perry and Debra Bellon.

The European Union has embarked on a comprehensive process to phase out animal testing for chemical safety, engaging stakeholders across numerous consultations and workshops, though final implementation remains years away. In contrast, the United States Food and Drug Administration has unveiled a clear and ambitious roadmap to rapidly reduce animal testing, centered on validated New Approach Methodologies such as organ-on-chip and advanced computational models. These regulatory developments underscore a global shift toward innovative, human-relevant safety testing methods and signal important changes for pharmaceutical regulation worldwide.