Beyond growth: Rethinking Japan’s path to environmental sustainability (Hikaru Komatsu) скачать в хорошем качестве

Beyond growth: Rethinking Japan’s path to environmental sustainability (Hikaru Komatsu)

VSJF Annual Conference 2024 'Sustainability in Japan' Programme and Details https://dij.tokyo/vsjf2024 Beyond growth: Rethinking Japan's path to environmental sustainability Komatsu Hikaru East Asian countries, including Japan, are often perceived as trailing behind European nations like Germany in terms of environmental sustainability. The Environmental Performance Index ranks Germany third and Japan 27th, with climate protests common in Germany but rare in Japan and other East Asian countries. However, it may come as a surprise that Japan's Ecological and Material Footprints are actually lower than those of Germany. Furthermore, Japan has reduced its environmental impacts at a rate comparable to or even faster than Germany. These observations suggest that Japan provides valuable lessons in environmental sustainability, despite the lower Index rank. Japan's success in reducing environmental impacts can be partly attributed to its stagnant economic growth since the 1990s. Notably, this economic stagnation has not resulted in a long-term decline in the subjective well-being of its population. How has this been achieved? How have Japanese adapted to such economic conditions? These questions are crucial for skeptics of degrowth, despite degrowth being theoretically considered an effective means of achieving environmental sustainability. By analyzing long-term trends in household income, subjective wellbeing, and Ecological Footprint, among other factors, I aim to present Japan as a case for "rethinking" the global path to environmental sustainability. Komatsu Hikaru, PhD, is a dedicated environmental sustainability advocate, currently working for On-the-Slope (坂ノ途中; www.on-the-slope.com/), Kyoto, a social venture focused on promoting sustainable farming and consumption in Japan. The organization supports young, small-scale farmers, aiding them in maintaining their livelihoods through sustainable agricultural practices. Hikaru’s passion for environmental issues began in his teenage years. He pursued natural science, specializing in hydrology and ecology, at the University of Tokyo and worked for major academic institutions such as the University of Tokyo and Kyushu University. During his scientific studies, Hikaru realized the significant role of culture in tackling environmental sustainability challenges. This insight led him to transition from natural science to the humanities, where he investigated the interplay between culture and environmental sustainability at Kyoto University and National Taiwan University. Beyond academia, Hikaru has contributed to education policy through advisory roles at the World Bank and UNESCO. Currently, he is engaged in promoting a cultural shift towards viewing humans as an integral part of nature by selling sustainably produced vegetables. His recent publications include “Is happiness possible in a degrowth society?” (Futures, 2022), “Education and environmental sustainability” (Journal of International Cooperation in Education, 2023), and “School food, sustainability, and interdependence” (Oxford Review of Education, 2024). The paper “Education and environmental sustainability” was honored with the Outstanding Paper award at the 2024 Emerald Literati Awards. Cite as: Komatsu, Hikaru. 2024. “Beyond growth: Rethinking Japan’s path to environmental sustainability”. Sustainability in Japan. Lecture series, ed. by Conrad, Harald, Barbara Holthus, Axel Klein YouTube    • Beyond growth: Rethinking Japan’s pat...   Connect with the DIJ Tokyo YouTube:    / dijtokyo   Website: https://www.dijtokyo.org Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/dijtokyo.org LinkedIn:   / dijtokyo   Newsletter: https://dij.tokyo/newsletter