Symposium Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Blue Planet Prize
Date: August 25, 2022
Venue: Hamarikyu Asahi Hall, TokyoOrganizers: The Asahi Glass Foundation, The Asahi Shimbun, Japan Youth Platform for
Sustainability (JYPS)
Speakers
Eric Lambin,
2019 Blue Planet Prize Laureate; Professor, Université Catholique de Louvain George and
Setsuko Ishiyama Provostial Professor, Stanford University
Brian Walker (attended online),2018 Blue Planet Prize Laureate; Hon. Research Fellow of the Commonwealth Scientificand Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO); Hon. Professor, Australian NationalUniversity
David Tilman (video lecture)2020 Blue Planet Prize Laureate; Regents Professor, University of Minnesota;
Distinguished Professor, University of California, Santa Barbara
Masayoshi Iyoda,
350.org Japan, an international environmental NGO
Mana Saza,SWiTCH Association of Sustainability
Kairu Kobayashi,
Youth Biodiversity Network
ProgramPart I
14:00-14:20 Opening remarks and video messages
14:20-14:35 Prof. Lambin (profile video + 10-min talk)
14:35-14:50 Prof. Walker (profile video + 10-min talk)
14:50-15:05 Prof. Tilman (profile video + 10-min video talk)
15:05-15:20 BreakPart II
15:20-15:35 Proposals (Youth Environmental Advocacy) by Mana Saza,

Kyle Kobayashi, and Masayoshi Iyoda
15:35-15:42 Declaration (read by Prof. Eric Lambin)
15:42-15:46 Comments by Prof. Eric Lambin
15:46-15:50 Comments by Prof. Brian Walker
15:50-16:30 Panel Discussion (Former Blue Planet Prize laureates & young Japanese people)
Moderator: Hisanori Imamura, editor-in-chief, Asahi Shimbun DIALOG
16:30-16:40 Closing and Photos

The “Blue Planet Prize,” an international award for the global environment, was establishedin 1992, the same year that the Earth Summit was held. Since then, the prize has commended
those who have contributed to the solution of global environmental problems from theperspective of science and technology.
On August 25, 2022, in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of theBlue Planet Prize, the symposium took place at Hamarikyu Asahi Hall in Tokyo. Three former
Blue Planet Prize laureates issued a “Declaration on the occasion of the 30th anniversary ofthe Blue Planet Prize” and a group of young Japanese people made proposals called “YoungEnvironmental Advocacy.” Then two of the laureates and three young people had a panel
discussion on environmental issues.

Photo 1 Opening
Dr. Syukuro Manabe, one of the very first Blue Planet Prize winners and a winner of the 2021
Nobel Prize in Physics, gave a video message for this symposium.
Dr. Manabe said, “I had the honor to receive the first Blue Planet Prize in 1992. I was awarded
for my pioneering study on climate change prediction. Encouraged by the Prize, I devoted
myself to furthering my research. 30 years have passed since then. I truly appreciate thefarsighted vision of the Blue Planet Prize selection committee. The list of Blue Planet Prizelaureates shows that the Asahi Glass Foundation selected outstanding contributors fromacross the world who helped solving global environmental issues. I sincerely hope that yourendeavor is to be further continued.”
The three laureates who issued the declaration are Prof. Eric Lambin (one of the two 2019winners), Prof. Brian Walker (one of the two 2018 winners), and Prof. David Tilman (one ofthe two 2020 winners). Professor Lambin attended in person from Belgium, Professor Walker
joined online from Australia, and Professor Tilman gave a video message from the UnitedStates.

Photo 2 Professor Eric Lanbin

Photo 3 Professor Brian Walker (Online Lecture)Photo 4 Professor David Tilman (Video Lecture)

The joint statement by the three former laureates and young people’s proposals were madesimultaneously. After three international online discussions with young people in February
and March, the laureates worked on their statement based on these discussions. Professor
Lambin said, “What the young Japanese people said was thought-provoking. What impressed
us most was that they said they felt anxiety for the future. So we wanted to show solutions andpaths for a bright future by our declaration.”
The Youth Environmental Advocacy final draft was collated by Mana Saza, Kyle Kobayashi,and Masayoshi Iyoda as the central figures. The authors state, “The important things are foreveryone to be actively involved and to make choices that are not only beneficial in the present
but also consider the future of the planet. We hereby advocate for the actions and behaviors
required to achieve these.” They call on people to do what they can, with what they have,wherever they are.

Photo 5 Youth Environmental Advocacy
In the panel discussion, the laureates (Prof. Lambin and Prof. Walker) and young Japanesepeople (M. Saza, K. Kobayashi, and M. Iyoda) exchanged opinions about how together theyaddress the environmental problems, beyond generations.

Photo 6 Panel Discussion

Photo 7 Mana Saza, SWiTCH Association of Sustainability
Below are excerpts from the panel discussion.

“The climate crisis needs to be taken seriously by everyone on this planet. What we proposedin the Youth Environmental Advocacy statement are the bare minimum. However, change
comes from small steps that turn into ripple effects. To put environment at the center, let's
all take a step together and encourage young people to become the drivers of a greenmovement,” said Ms. Saza.

Photo 8 Kyle Kobayashi, Youth Biodiversity NetworkMr. Kobayashi said, “The proposals we made are what we need to do at the very least, butpoliticians and local authorities may regard them as tall orders. It’s becoming critical how toclose the gap. When calling for the need to address the environmental problems, I would liketo take a positive approach in which people can feel the splendor of biodiversity, instead ofjust stirring up in people a sense of crisis.”Photo 9 Masayoshi Iyoda, 350.org Japan, an international environmental NGO“If you are staying calm and living a happy life, it’s because you are ignorant. You need tolisten to what scientists say and get into a panic. In order to solve environmental problems, it
is also necessary to solve social issues, including gender inequity, and it takes solidarity ofvarious people,” said Mr. Iyoda.
Professor Lambin said, “It’s important to be, on one hand, pragmatic and realistic in yourrequests. I think it’s also important to develop a dream. Martin Luther King Jr. made a famousspeech, “I have a dream.” I want to hear from you. What is your dream? It’s also important tohave a positive try. These approaches decrease anxiety because you are not just there to solve
problems left to you but you are really aiming somewhere.”
Professor Walker added, “The challenge is keeping the big picture in mind and being able todeal with the components that need to be addressed individually, and sometimes together, todeal with the big picture. It’s not easy to go up and down scales like that. It’s easy to get
depressed about the fact that what we’re doing at this level is not influencing the big picture.
I think that’s a challenge for the youth. I would like to see how they can create different levelsof attention, some people dealing with a big picture, others dealing with components.”

Photo 10 Participants and staff members of the Asahi Glass Foundation(back, from left) H. Watanabe, T. Shimamura, T. Tanuma (The Asahi Glass Foundation)(front, from left) M. Saza, K. Kobayashi, E. Lambin, M. Iyoda