Young generations, including Generation Z, will drive the future of the planet. Young people around the world are taking action against global environmental and climate change issues, but what about Japan?
Future Design Shibuya (hereinafter referred to as FDS) and the platform for building a sustainable society “SHIBUYA COP ACADEMY”, which is operated in collaboration with the general incorporated association SWiTCH, will be held for the first time in 2023. Participants who crossed the fence gathered.
At this year's "SHIBUYA COP ACADEMY", Ms. Makinae Saza, Representative Director of SWiTCH, first reviewed the basic knowledge of the global environment and climate change, introduced the latest IPCC information, and discussed climate change from the perspective of young people. I introduced three points of the session to exchange ideas to face each other.
Mr. Saza pointed out that Japan's awareness of climate change is low, and that it ranks lowest among the world's developed countries. It is said that the Japanese media does not cover much information about climate change, while other countries frequently report it, which is a problem. He also said, "It is important to disseminate sustainable information through the media, and businesses need to promote new initiatives and PR."
While many Japanese view the image of climate change as threatening their own quality of life, people around the world have the opposite view that tackling climate change can improve their quality of life. I have.
Therefore, Mr. Saza suggests, "In Japan, there is an image that climate change measures are plain and lame, but we can change the image by presenting a new and fun way."
As for the current climate crisis, 33 million people were affected by floods in Pakistan in the past year, and 500 people died in wildfires in Canada the year before.
After that, Mr. Saza asked the participants about the impact of rising sea levels. There were various answers from the audience about what percentage of Japan's sandy beaches would disappear if the sea level rose by one meter. He also clarified that there is a serious situation that this will affect the value of real estate and that it will be necessary to relocate urban functions.
In addition, issues such as rising sea levels and garbage are issues that transcend national borders, and it is important to collaborate not only with Japan but also with the rest of the world.
In addition, he introduced data showing that 2.9 earths would be necessary for people around the world to live like the Japanese. points out.
There are 17 goals in the SDGs, and although they are complicated and difficult to understand, he emphasizes that society and the economy can only exist when the ecosystem is stable. We can't sustain our lives and businesses."
As a practical matter, the earth's resources are finite and excessive consumption is unsustainable. Until now, Japan has placed emphasis on the economy and society, but from now on, we will enter an era in which we will create a flow that balances the three elements based on the ecosystem.
Mr. Saza also introduced a diagram of planetary boundaries and warned that three items have already exceeded their limits. I explained that we should try to keep the green safe zone for items that are not yet over the limit.
He also emphasized the importance of thinking based on the SDGs and planetary boundaries in education. “Vague goals don’t bring about enough change,” he said.
After the participants shared their ideas about global warming, Mr. Saza explained the IPCC and climate change countermeasures based on it. A number of important topics related to climate change were introduced, including net zero, circular economy, ESG investment, renewable energy, and sustainable supply chains.
After the group work, Ms. Saza explained the three action guidelines at last year's COP27 - "Ambition", "Action" and "Accountability".
The first, “Ambition,” said that more ambitious targets should be set, and in particular, targets should be set to achieve net zero by 2040 rather than by 2050. rice field.
The second “Action” emphasizes the importance of taking concrete actions. “Solutions and tools already exist, and we need to use them to take action towards the 2040 goals,” he said.
The third, "Accountability," pointed out that corporate accountability should be improved continuously while disclosing how much CO2 the company emits and how much resources it uses. He said, “We are discussing measures for decarbonization with these three points at the center.”
The IPCC (International Climate Change Assessment Report) is a report prepared by an international group of scientists on climate change, with participation by scientists nominated by national governments. Scientists from more than 66 countries participate in its creation and create the report over many years. Its purpose is also for scientists to discuss and make recommendations to policy makers about the risks of man-made climate change.
The most recent IPCC report, released on 20 March this year, involved 234 climate change impacts and vulnerability researchers, 270 other researchers, and climate change researchers. 270 researchers spent eight years working on mitigating
Mr. Saza explained why the IPCC report is attracting so much attention.
“This report is more than just a report, it is an important reference when deciding the direction of national policy. And business leaders are taking this issue seriously, sending the message that they need to change their behavior.”
Leaders committed to sustainability include notable business leaders such as Bill Gates (founder of Microsoft), Mark Carney (former Governor of the Bank of England) and Larry Fink (CEO of BlackRock). It seems that they are transforming their own business and developing new services to prevent fluctuations.
“Prominent business leaders like them believe that not only governments but also themselves should be responsible for climate change. is also used to guide people to action within organizations.”
Also in Japan, there is an increasing movement to involve people in the business world in promoting sustainability, and as part of this, the GX League was launched. This is an initiative that the government, companies, academia, and the general public work together, and coalitions such as JCLP, Japan Climate Change Initiative, and Challenge Zero have been formed in relation to renewable energy.
While these efforts are still in their infancy, early participation can be a key player in influencing rulemaking, which could be key to industry leadership.
Mr. Saza says that there are three key points in climate change countermeasures.
First, use energy saving, renewable energy, eco-cars, etc. to reduce the factors that cause climate change.
Next, adapt to climate change that has already occurred, such as disaster countermeasures, heat stroke countermeasures, and improvement of water resource usage methods.
Finally, to help people in areas affected by climate change.
Among these, the most important are mitigation measures, which include concrete measures such as greenhouse gas levels that can be reduced by 2050, suspension of coal-fired power generation, deoxygenation during construction, shift to EV vehicles, and reduction of food loss. as an action.
Source: IPCC AR6. (Source: Japanese translation from World Resources Institute)
Regarding these efforts, Mr. Saza says, "People who don't know where to start can take measures by starting with the action list recommended by the IPCC." He also said that although there are differences in the efforts of individuals and organizations, "the proposed actions have already been established as international agreements and should be generally implemented." rice field.
After that, it was time to divide into groups and experience "reverse mentoring" to share perspectives from young people and engage in dialogue that transcends generations. There was a lively exchange of opinions and presentations, including proposals from the young people's point of view.
At the end of the day, Mr. Saza concluded by saying, “Building a sense of camaraderie is important in addressing climate change issues. I can think deeply about the solutions to the problems and the next steps,” he suggested to the participants about their future efforts.
This year's first SHIBUYA COP ACADEMY was a forum for discussing five major points on the IPCC. In such a forum, inter-generational dialogue can be easily conducted on a daily basis, and by embedding and disseminating such dialogue in corporate culture, the performance of organizations working on climate change issues will be maximized. is expected.
The next event is scheduled for July. Please continue to pay attention to the activities of SHIBUYA COP ACADEMY.
