3 / 2022 // LEOPOLDINA / NEWS 11
Up-to-date medical knowledge across the board
GREEN HYDROGEN
Discussion paper on science literacy published
The COVID-19 pandemic has left no doubt about just how important it is for medical professionals to follow the science . A discussion paper suggests ways of guaranteeing science literacy across the entire professional sphere .
The process of acquiring and maintaining science literacy through medical training and further training has always been lacking structure and coordination in Germany .
The discussion paper on lifelong science literacy in medicine through training and further training recommends fundamentally reviewing , refining and potentially redefining the roles and responsibilities of medical associations , association of statutory health insurance physicians , expert societies and other bod ies in terms of medical science literacy .
Due to their central role , faculties of medicine and university medical centres should play their part by coordinating and supporting the creation of training content . In terms of the subject matter covered , the training and further training should focus more heavily on new opportunities brought about by molecular biology , biotechnology and digitalisation in medicine , the impact of societal and global processes of change , and ethical aspects .
■ KH
Infrastructure for evidence-basing
Leopoldina roundtable on policy making backed by science
The Leopoldina initiative for evidence-based policy making promotes discussions between science and politics . An Englishlanguage online roundtable discussion has been set up for Tuesday , 20 September to share best-practice models from around the world .
Scientifically sound analyses cannot replace the political decision-making process , but they can provide a solid factual foundation upon which decisions can be made – as long as they are available in a timely fashion . The aim of the online roundtable discussion for the initiative represented by Leopoldina Vice President Regina T . Riphahn ML and Monika Schnitzer , an expert in comparative economics research , is to look into ways to improve the evidence-basing infrastructure .
Discussion paper “ Wissenschaftskompetenz ” ( German only )
Reports will also be given by practitioners on the ground : Mona Nemer , Chief Science Advisor to the Canadian government , Jeromin Zettelmeyer , Director of the think tank Bruegel , former Deputy Head of Department at the International Monetary Fund and former Director-General and Chief Economist at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy , Miriam Styrnol , Advisor for the British Evaluation Task Force , and Kai Hielscher , Head of the Regulatory Sandboxes Coordinating Office at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action .
■ LD
Online-Roundtable “ How to strenghten evidence-based policy making ?”
Hydrogen is an important energy carrier on our journey to climate neutrality .
Image : Corona Borealis | Adobe Stock
In May 2022 , the European Union submitted two draft delegated acts on liquid or gaseous renewable fuels of
non-biological origin and recycled carbon fuels – which includes hydrogen . In the view of a group of authors representing the Leopoldina , both acts are too restrictive , too detailed and too open to potential abuse to create the momentum required to kick-start a hydrogen economy . The regulatory framework needs to be more straightforward and predictable , with the scope to be rolled out globally . In their commentary , the authors recommend classifying hydrogen as renew able based solely on the carbon footprint . This would also pave the way for transparent certification that could be standardised globally . Furthermore , the carbon footprint of hydrogen should be determined using the applicable price of CO2 . Steadily increasing the price of CO2 would be an effective control because it would make renewable hydrogen increasingly competitive . It would be reasonable to produce hydrogen with a higher carbon footprint during the ramp-up phase .
■ CA , KH
Commentary “ Technologiehochlauf von Wasserstoff ” ( German only )