During the year of my Presidency of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, the subjects of climate change and energy have come to the forefront of public consciousness.  The ways in which we respond to these challenges will have a truly enormous effect on future generations.

I am proud of the role the BA plays in the public debate of these issues. It occupies a unique position at the nexus of scientists, science institutions, policy makers, government, companies and the general public.  Climate change and the global energy challenge feature in all the BA’s programmes, from the excellent Festival of Science in Norwich last September to National Science and Engineering Week and the CREST Award Scheme for secondary schools.  At the Science Communication Conference in May, run jointly by the BA and the Royal Society for professional science communicators, one day was devoted entirely to climate change and the feedback from those attending was excellent.  In this way, the BA not only engages the public directly with scientists on these issues but helps other professionals to do so and facilitates the sharing of best practice.

The BA is particularly concerned to engage young people with science and technology. An independent impact evaluation of the BA’s CREST Award scheme clearly demonstrated the scheme’s role in inspiring more young people to consider taking further education or careers in science and technology and developing their skills.  This year, BA CREST is being extended to primary schoolchildren, providing them with an early positive experience of science and the opportunity to grow with BA CREST throughout their school career.  From these young people will come the scientists and engineers of the future who will continue to develop the science and technologies needed to solve the challenges that we are already grappling with today.