Ms. Fumiko Kasuga, Director of the Future Earth Global Hub and Professor at University of Tokyo
Prospects for the future – projections, scenarios and new and
emerging issues: Role of science and technology
Fumiko KASUGA
Thank you, Madam Moderator, Excellencies, Ladies and
Gentlemen, my name is Fumiko Kasuga and it is my great honor
and pleasure to have such an opportunity to talk in this session. I
would like to discuss on the roles of science and technology for
achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
This is how we suffered from air pollution about 50 years ago.
Yokkaichi is one of heavy industrial cities located in the middle of
Japan and Yokkaichi Asthma was well known at that time. Then,
please look at the right picture. Citizens, industries, academia
and government have been working together very hard to bring
back this clear sky. It shows that we can appreciate clean air even
with good economic development.
However, I would like to emphasize that a developing country
does not need to go through the same paths, starting from the
struggle we have had in the past. They have a great opportunity
to directly jump to this stage, Smart Society, with an innovative
manner, and can even export such methods to developed countries,
just if we can transform our life style with low energy demand,
and by making good use of renewable energy and ITC.
Now, what we should consider to make this happen?
I think we can simplify policy making processes for Sustainable
Development Goals like this: starting from issue identification
and preliminary decision making, followed by assessment and
then selection of possible options, implementation of policy
actions and monitoring and review.
For rational, understandable and efficient policy measures for
innovative actions, stakeholder engagement from the very first
stage is always encouraged.
I would emphasize that, in particular, science should be the basis
for every stage of this cycle in a systematic way, domestically and
internationally, and in order to be so, scientists should also
recognize their responsibilities and are ready to contribute in
inclusive, transparent and neutral manner. National and global
academic communities and platforms, such as ICSU, IAP, STI
forum, and Future Earth are willing to contribute.
Let’s think about an example from Goal 3, Health and Wellbeing
for all.
There is a target, “By 2030, substantially reduce the number of
deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and
soil pollution and contamination”.
There are many unclear points, such as:
Which chemicals, Which country or region, What kind of illnesses
should be prioritized,
Whether current illnesses are well monitored,
How and to which degree we should set as Target reduction,
How to monitor transition, achievement, or failure of the target,
And how to address to different future scenarios based on changes
in environment, economy and society, and in affected population.
To clarify them, we need scientific inputs for understanding,
communicating and making decision.
In order to provide integrated knowledge for global sustainability,
Future Earth was launched to address complicated issues and
policy questions and to integrate science beyond disciplines,
especially across natural and social sciences. In addition,
collaborating with stakeholders in the society from the initial
stage of research planning through delivery of the research
products is also a critical element for Future Earth. We will create
partnership between research and policy to provide knowledge to
GSDR and other UN processes in a timely manner.
Future Earth was established and is governed by international
organizations such as ICSU, ISSC, SDSN and STS forum, and
UNESCO and several other UN organizations.
Network of more than 50,000 researchers throughout the world
including Future Earth Core Projects provides integrated
research on topics which underpin the SDGs.
As actual vehicles for interaction, Future Earth is developing
Knowledge-Action Networks, based on these basic themes.
For Health, we will address how we can achieve health with good
QOL for human, together with environmental health, Planetary
health. For Sustainable Consumption and Production and
Transformation, we will seek for possible options to achieve both
reduction of stress to the environment and sustainable profits for
the society.
And for Sustainable Development Goals, we will deliver scientific
evidence on, for example, who are most left behind, rational and
scalable monitoring and indicator sets for targets, models and
data to explore trade-offs, synergies and cross scale linkages, and
opportunities for transformative pathways.
Global Sustainable Development Report, 2016, Chapter 5 well
summarized scientists’ visions on emerging technologies crucial
for the SDGs. We would like to thank all the contributors to the
report.
At the same time, the report indicated several emerging concerns.
In addition to unstable political situations, serious natural
disasters and negative impacts of new technologies on the
environment, we have to be reminded that any kind of science and
technology has a potential to be mal-used with destructive
intention, so called ‘dual-use’.
There may not be perfect measure to prevent these issues.
However, every effort on developing monitoring systems for early
detection, awareness raising, ethical education, rule setting and
developing technology for protection should be accumulated and
integrated. Again, there are many roles of science and technology
for those efforts for security.
I agree with all the expected new technologies suggested in GSDR
2016, but would like to specifically point out the need for
innovation in ICTs, in order to reach most vulnerable people and
to engage them in the dialog and to overcome miscommunication
and misunderstanding among different sectors also by different
languages.
Considering the importance of the outputs of GSDR, I wish that a
dedicated session on emerging issues will be included at every
HLPF session.
In addition, we should encourage People-Centered Approach, or
Human Security, so that every individual in the world can receive
education and necessary nutrition and have dignity for their
further empowerment, in order to leave no one behind.
Future Earth and ICSU, together with other scientific and
technological communities in the world, are willing to contribute
to the processes of the High Level Political Forum.
Thank you for your attention.
emerging issues: Role of science and technology
Fumiko KASUGA
Thank you, Madam Moderator, Excellencies, Ladies and
Gentlemen, my name is Fumiko Kasuga and it is my great honor
and pleasure to have such an opportunity to talk in this session. I
would like to discuss on the roles of science and technology for
achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
This is how we suffered from air pollution about 50 years ago.
Yokkaichi is one of heavy industrial cities located in the middle of
Japan and Yokkaichi Asthma was well known at that time. Then,
please look at the right picture. Citizens, industries, academia
and government have been working together very hard to bring
back this clear sky. It shows that we can appreciate clean air even
with good economic development.
However, I would like to emphasize that a developing country
does not need to go through the same paths, starting from the
struggle we have had in the past. They have a great opportunity
to directly jump to this stage, Smart Society, with an innovative
manner, and can even export such methods to developed countries,
just if we can transform our life style with low energy demand,
and by making good use of renewable energy and ITC.
Now, what we should consider to make this happen?
I think we can simplify policy making processes for Sustainable
Development Goals like this: starting from issue identification
and preliminary decision making, followed by assessment and
then selection of possible options, implementation of policy
actions and monitoring and review.
For rational, understandable and efficient policy measures for
innovative actions, stakeholder engagement from the very first
stage is always encouraged.
I would emphasize that, in particular, science should be the basis
for every stage of this cycle in a systematic way, domestically and
internationally, and in order to be so, scientists should also
recognize their responsibilities and are ready to contribute in
inclusive, transparent and neutral manner. National and global
academic communities and platforms, such as ICSU, IAP, STI
forum, and Future Earth are willing to contribute.
Let’s think about an example from Goal 3, Health and Wellbeing
for all.
There is a target, “By 2030, substantially reduce the number of
deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and
soil pollution and contamination”.
There are many unclear points, such as:
Which chemicals, Which country or region, What kind of illnesses
should be prioritized,
Whether current illnesses are well monitored,
How and to which degree we should set as Target reduction,
How to monitor transition, achievement, or failure of the target,
And how to address to different future scenarios based on changes
in environment, economy and society, and in affected population.
To clarify them, we need scientific inputs for understanding,
communicating and making decision.
In order to provide integrated knowledge for global sustainability,
Future Earth was launched to address complicated issues and
policy questions and to integrate science beyond disciplines,
especially across natural and social sciences. In addition,
collaborating with stakeholders in the society from the initial
stage of research planning through delivery of the research
products is also a critical element for Future Earth. We will create
partnership between research and policy to provide knowledge to
GSDR and other UN processes in a timely manner.
Future Earth was established and is governed by international
organizations such as ICSU, ISSC, SDSN and STS forum, and
UNESCO and several other UN organizations.
Network of more than 50,000 researchers throughout the world
including Future Earth Core Projects provides integrated
research on topics which underpin the SDGs.
As actual vehicles for interaction, Future Earth is developing
Knowledge-Action Networks, based on these basic themes.
For Health, we will address how we can achieve health with good
QOL for human, together with environmental health, Planetary
health. For Sustainable Consumption and Production and
Transformation, we will seek for possible options to achieve both
reduction of stress to the environment and sustainable profits for
the society.
And for Sustainable Development Goals, we will deliver scientific
evidence on, for example, who are most left behind, rational and
scalable monitoring and indicator sets for targets, models and
data to explore trade-offs, synergies and cross scale linkages, and
opportunities for transformative pathways.
Global Sustainable Development Report, 2016, Chapter 5 well
summarized scientists’ visions on emerging technologies crucial
for the SDGs. We would like to thank all the contributors to the
report.
At the same time, the report indicated several emerging concerns.
In addition to unstable political situations, serious natural
disasters and negative impacts of new technologies on the
environment, we have to be reminded that any kind of science and
technology has a potential to be mal-used with destructive
intention, so called ‘dual-use’.
There may not be perfect measure to prevent these issues.
However, every effort on developing monitoring systems for early
detection, awareness raising, ethical education, rule setting and
developing technology for protection should be accumulated and
integrated. Again, there are many roles of science and technology
for those efforts for security.
I agree with all the expected new technologies suggested in GSDR
2016, but would like to specifically point out the need for
innovation in ICTs, in order to reach most vulnerable people and
to engage them in the dialog and to overcome miscommunication
and misunderstanding among different sectors also by different
languages.
Considering the importance of the outputs of GSDR, I wish that a
dedicated session on emerging issues will be included at every
HLPF session.
In addition, we should encourage People-Centered Approach, or
Human Security, so that every individual in the world can receive
education and necessary nutrition and have dignity for their
further empowerment, in order to leave no one behind.
Future Earth and ICSU, together with other scientific and
technological communities in the world, are willing to contribute
to the processes of the High Level Political Forum.
Thank you for your attention.