KAZE, September 2021
Time goes like a spiral
Tomohiro TASAKI
Succeeding to Mr. Saburo KATO, three researchers, including myself, will join
Ms. Konoe FUJIMURA and write for this column “Kaze” regularly from this September.
Just for self-introduction, I am a researcher of the National Institute for EnvironmentalStudies (NIES) and serving as a Director of JAES21 (Kanbun).
In his last "Kaze," Mr. Kato expressed that JAES21 needs fresh and new
perspectives to keep pace with the fast-changing world. As my response, I would liketo share my view regarding the Green Civilization that Mr. Kato and we, the JAES21members, are seeking.
What will change and what is unchanged
Our society has drastically changed in the past two decades, and we are fully
aware of the change. Despite the change, Mr. Kato is consistently and patiently
delivering the same messages. They are the importance of nature, potential threat tothe very basis of life, and expectations for the new civilization (Green Civilization)
where appropriate measures are ingrained in the society.
The consistency of his message probably comes from his strong belief in
JAES21 s approach to environmental issues as a whole. JAES21 does not seek astopgap remedy but definitive care of the environment by reflecting on our ways oflife. In other words, JAES21 has tried to look at not specific symptoms but theunderlying cause of current environmental issues viewed from the standpoint of"civilization."
This attitude and viewpoint will remain our central philosophy. At the sametime, however, we should observe the changing world as it is. We saw history repeat
itself, but actually, we have moved up to different stages in the past. Thus our society
has evolved in spirals. Unless we realize the difference of each stage, we never design
the Green Civilization for the future. Having the above in mind, let me envisage criticalissues of the future Green Civilization referring to two recent significant changes inour society.
With the widespread of digital technologies, the style of communication has

dramatically changed. SNS allows us to communicate with each other even during thestay-home period of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, such social media
became a dominant power in putting out our voices irrespective of the correctness ofthe information. Then comes the post-truth world, where people could be easily
manipulated by false information often anonymously scattered. The gap from those
who deny the existence of environmental issues is becoming wider and wider. However,
if environmental NPOs enthusiastically fight back, they will be labeled as extremists
and shunned by the general public.
In

thedigitalizedsocietywheretherelationshipbetweenpeopleororganizations has dramatically changed, something underlying the civil society and themedia has changed as well. Except for digital native generations, people will havedifficulties in adapting to those changes. Under these circumstances, how shouldenvironmental NPOs extend their activities in the future?
The second significant change has appeared in environmental policies, withtwo big trends in the past two decades. The one was the specialization of expertise.
Today sunsolvedenvironmental

issues(climatechange,resourcecirculation,biodiversity, and risks for exposure to chemicals, etc.) were not solved because thesolution is complicated and requires specific expertise for their solution.
The other is the global trend of transforming the basic social system thatcauses those serious issues. In fact, the term “transformation” is used in UN s SDGs
documents unanimously approved at the UN summit in September 2015, emphasizing
it as one of the four points of SDGs. However, the concept of “transformation” ismissing from Japan's principle of SDGs implementation guidelines. Alas! Where willunchanged Japan go in the future?
Transformation requires a change not only in individual action and awarenessbut also in social systems and rules. In the past two decades, however, the Japanese
government, rather than employing a powerful economic approach, mostly took avoluntary approach trying to change

behaviors of individual citizens throughawareness-building.
The voluntary process neglected to face the structural issue of human societythat causes environmental problems. Instead, the Japanese government placed
responsibility for addressing those problems to the efforts of individual citizens andcompanies. At the same time, they relied heavily on technological development but
did not see the possible rebound effect of technologies.

Transformationtothedecarbonizedsocietyrequiressolidandclear

environmental policies to lead the country. Under the current regime, can we transform
Japan and shape appropriate policies for the next generation? The true worth ofJapanese people is tested.