Canada's call

Abstract

N ext month, Canada will host the Group of 7 (G7) summit in picturesque Charlevoix, Québec. As leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States come together, along with European Union representatives, to discuss the progressive agenda, science will be on everyone's mind. With science and technology playing a prominent role in everyday life, access to science education and to science-based careers is ever more essential for inclusive growth and for women's empowerment. In addition to the contribution that science makes to economic prosperity, the public is demanding that it also be used to guide decision-making. Scientists and knowledge communities have risen to strengthen their case to policy-makers: Witness the global March for Science last month and the renewed interest in science advice for policy at national and international levels. Nowhere has this trend been more evident than in Canada, where the government has signaled its respect for science-informed policy. This was made clear in some remarkable developments over the past 10 months, including my appointment as the first government chief science adviser in over a decade and a historic science budget for 2018. The Canadian scientific community is generally upbeat and reenergized. Now is the time to ensure that the infrastructure and programs are in place to meet rising expectations and deliver on science promises and potential. The G7 summit themes range from climate change and ocean sustainability to preparing for the jobs of the future while ensuring a peaceful and secure world. All of them require quality data, special infrastructure, and coherent multi-institutional and multinational approaches. Although these issues will occupy the work of Canada's minister of science and the Office of the Chief Science Advisor, they are not unique to Canada or to any other country. All the more reason, then, that the international science community should encourage sharing of best practices and the development of uni