The SPHERA Consortium Warns About the Grave Threat Posed by Political Attacks on Science

The SPHERA consortium, a European network that brings together the leading research institutions in environmental science, climate change, economics, social sciences, and global health, has launched a statement that has already been signed by more than 300 scientists, denouncing the growing threats to scientific integrity and research freedom. Among the promoters and initial signatories of the document are eight researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), including its director, Quique Bassat.

In light of recent political changes in the United States, SPHERA warns about a concerning global trend: the increasing politicisation of scientific research, suppressing critical data, and withdrawing funding from essential research programs. According to the consortium, these actions not only affect academic institutions but also pose a direct threat to public and planetary health, environmental sustainability, and human progress.

"The suppression of research on climate science, public health, and environmental justice is part of a broader pattern of restricting scientific discourse, which disproportionately harms vulnerable populations, weakens democratic institutions, and exacerbates global inequalities," the statement warns.

In response to these threats, SPHERA emphasizes the importance of firmly defending scientific freedom, advocating for evidence-based policies, and protecting the role of science in public decision-making. Among the key points in their agenda, the consortium highlights the need to:

• Defend scientific integrity and freedom, rejecting any attempt at political or economic manipulation of scientific findings.
• Strengthen public engagement, promoting open science and improving scientific communication to counter misinformation and build public trust in science.
• Counter anti-scientific rhetoric, actively calling on scientists, educators, and communicators to combat false narratives with evidence and dialogue.
• Strengthen scientific institutions, protecting them from budget cuts for political reasons, selective layoffs, and restrictions.
• Take the necessary legal actions to challenge policies that undermine scientific freedom and integrity.
• Promote international collaboration, ensuring that knowledge and innovation continue to benefit humanity as a whole.
• Support science in low- and middle-income countries, ensuring that scientific progress reaches the areas where it is most needed.
• Defend scientific ethics and responsibility, placing science at the service of the common good, social equity, and human rights.
• Support scientists from countries where science is repressed, who face increasing political and institutional pressures that threaten their ability to freely conduct and communicate their research.

In addition to this joint statement, ISGlobal researcher and SPHERA consortium coordinator Manolis Kogevinas, together with Giulia Pollarolo, also from ISGlobal, and Robert Barouki, from the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), have published a letter in Nature denouncing the situation. The document calls on the global scientific community, citizens, and policymakers to act together to restore trust in science as the foundation of human progress. "Science is not a partisan issue. It is the foundation of well-being, wealth, and the sustainable future of the planet," the text concludes.

Collection of Signatures for the SPHERA Declaration

The SPHERA declaration is available in multiple languages on the website of this scientific network, where there is a form to collect new signatures for the declaration.