Science-policy data compact: use of environmental monitoring data for air quality policy

Environmental policies often strongly depend on environmental monitoring data, yet these increasing datasets are not always used effectively in enacting and implementing public policy. We propose a science-policy data model that defines the conditions that facilitate the use of environmental monitoring data for policy and which could help scientists and policymakers diagnose impediments in the link between science and policy and work more effectively together to use monitoring data in environmental policy. The model includes two parts: (1) criteria for scientific monitoring data to become useful information for public policy; (2) a “data compact,” a relationship between senior scientists and midlevel policymakers that enables translation of environmental monitoring data into knowledge useful for public policy. We compare the model against two case studies in the air quality literature: ozone depleting substances and acid precipitation. Finally, we use the model to assess the potential of a newly developing area that we are researching, use of satellite remote sensing data for fine particulate matter transboundary policy.