On May 31, the science academies of the G7 states presented four statements to the German federal government in Berlin. The joint recommendations had been drafted by the academies in the Science7 (S7) format under the Leopoldina’s leader-ship as part of Germany’s G7 Presidency this year. The key topics of the Science7 statements for the G7 summit 2022 in Germany are the effects of climate change on the polar regions and the ocean, international action for decarbonisation, the development of antivirals for the purpose of pandemic preparedness and the need for a One Health approach to combat zoonoses and antimicrobial resistance. More on Pages 4 and 5

On 24 February, the Russian Federation launched a war of aggression against sovereign Ukraine. The war has claimed numerous human victims and caused widespread destruction – including to edu¬cational and science infrastructure. On 25 February, the Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany ceased all relations with Russia and expressed its solidarity with Ukraine. In its func¬tion as the current Chair, the Leopoldina initiated a joint statement by the acade¬mies of the G7, which was published on 2 March. More on Pages 6 and 7

The new members of Class II met in May for the Life Science Symposium at the Leopoldina in Halle (Saale). The evening lecture, which was again open to the public, was given by Lars Chittka ML. In the interview, the biologist, who specialises in the sensory perception and psychology of animals, talks about his research. More on Page 10