３．UNU Zero Emissions Booklet SerieszTadahiro Mitsuhashi, Guidelines for Zero Emissions−Aiming for an Economic Society that Generates
No Wastes, 2001z

Keizo Yamaji, Practical Methods for the Environment Conscious Management− From ISO14001 toZero Emissions, 2001z

Masatsugu Taniguchi, Environmental Issues from the Perspective of Resource MiningーFor Increasing
Resource Productivity, 2001zz

Yoshihisa Obayashi, Green Strategy of the Construction Industry― From Zero Emissions to Global
Warming Countermeasures, 2002

1.

Koichi Sueyoshi, Challenges for Zero Emissions at Kitakyushu Eco-town—Environment Conservation

The concept of “Zero Emissions”, born at the United Nations University (Tokyo, Japan), in 1994—following from Agenda
21, the path breaking product of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit—is becoming one of the major leading principles as well as amethodology towards achievement of a sustainable society as an alternative to the current mass consumptive society. A
fundamental concept of Zero Emissions underlines the effective utilization of the Earth’s limited resources and the minimizationof human impacts on the natural environment. Zero Emissions promotes a shift from the traditional industrial model in whichwastes are considered the norm, to integrated systems in which everything has its use. In other words, we aim to establish asustainable socio-economic system that is harmonized with nature, based on a Zero Emissions industrial cluster that enables theoptimization of resource use among different sectors—just like the natural ecosystem where no waste is emitted.
UNU has facilitated to foster Zero Emissions related activities through the UNU Zero Emissions Forum (ZEF) that
promotes practical approaches to environmental sustainability and the application of science and technology with participationfrom academia, local governments, business and citizens. ZEF has made significant efforts since its birth in spring 2000 todisseminate the concept of Zero Emissions and enhance this innovative and flexible tripartite cooperation throughout Japan froma multilateral standpoint.
Zero Emissions has been diversified and elaborated both in terms of concept and means over the last ten years. Our
missions now include the dissemination of this Japan-made Zero Emissions practice to the rest of the world, in particular, theAsian nations.

and Industrial Promotion, 2002z* Zero Emissions Manual Drafting Committee, Zero Emissions Manual—Realizing a ZeroEmissions-based Regional Community, 2003z

Takayuki Taniguchi, Handbook on Water Resources, 2003

zYakushima Project Working Group, Yakushima Project on Achieving Zero Emissions, 2004

zHiroyuki Fujimura, Biomass: the Ultimate Zero EmissionsーHow to Utilize Biomass Resources toEstablish a Sustainable Society, 2004

*This is also available in English.

（Published by Kaizosha）

４．United Nations University Zero Emissions Forum＜Board of Directors＞ ＊ indicates a steering committee member.
Chairman＊Dr. Hiroyuki Fujimura, Honorary Chairman, Ebara Corporation
Representative (Industry Network)＊Mr. Masatsugu Taniguchi, Former Senior Managing Director, Taiheiyo Cement Corporation
Representative (Local Gov’t Network)＊Prof. Tadahiro Mistuhashi, Chiba University of Commerce
Representative (Academia Network)＊Prof. Motoyuki Suzuki, Special Programme Advisor, UNU
Board of Directors (Business NW)＊Mr. Yoshihisa Obayashi, Senior Managing Director, Obayashi Corporation
Mr. Shozo Sawada, Executive Managing Director, Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd.
Mr. Kiyoshi Sakai, Executive Managing Director, Ricoh Co., Ltd.
Mr. Nobuo Ogawa, President, Japan Management Association (JMA)
Board of Directors (Local Gov’t NW)
Mr. Hiroya Masuda, Governor, Iwate Pref.
Mr. Keiji Yamada, Governor, Kyoto Pref.
Ms. Akiko Domoto, Governor, Chiba Pref.
Mr. Kocihi Sueyoshi, Mayor, Kitakyushu City
Mr. Masaomi Koike, Mayor, Mishima City
Mr. Teruo Ishizuka, Ward Mayor, Itabashi-ku
Mr. Yoshikatsu Seino, Town Mayor, Tachikawa-cho
Board of Directors (Academia NW)
Prof. Ryoichi Yamamoto, University of Tokyo＊Prof. Akiyoshi Sakoda, University of Tokyo＊Prof. Koichi Fujie, Toyohashi University of Technology＜Europe Focal Point＞
Prof. Toru Morioka, Osaka University
Dr. Ruediger Kuehr
Prof. Tadashi Hano, Director and Vice President,＜ＩT and the Environment Project＞
Oita University
Prof. Michiko Iha, University of the Ryukyus
Supervisor Prof. Hiroyuki Yoshida, Osaka Prefecture University＜Steering Committee Members＞
Mr. Masao Takebayashi, Senior Counselor,Ebara Corporation
Mr. Tatsuo Tani, General Manager, Ricoh Co., Ltd.
Mr. Masanao Maeda, Director General, Development Bankof Japan

Dr. Eric Williams＜Secretariat＞
Dr. Kenichi Sakamoto, Advisor
Mr. Hiroshi Sasaki,
Programme Coordinator
Ms Keiko Miyako,
Programme Assistant

Development of the Zero Emissions concept

Rector, United Nations University (1997-present)
Prof. Hans van Ginkel“The ultimate goal of “zero emissions” is to create a new type of society that seeks to achieve a social andindustrial transformation whereby humankind “mimics” the sustainable cycles found in the world of nature. Thishigh ecological ethics is nonetheless a vivid concept we must uphold for years to come.
To our regret, the capacity of the Earth is in a critical state more than ever before, and the well-being of
future generations faces tremendous insecurity. In my view, we may find a viable solution in practicing “zeroemissions”, which will bring about a change of the socio-economic system as well as technological renovation anda transformation in the industrial structure. Since Japan is a world leader in promoting “zero emissions,” itsexperience in developing a zero emissions-based society will be an asset for all of us in the world. I am very
pleased that UNU can assist in raising knowledge about and increasing the visibility of Japan’s important
experience to other parts of the globe. ”
UNU-ZEF Chairman (2004-present)
Dr. Hiroyuki Fujimura, Honorary Chairman, Ebara Corporation“Mankind hopes for economic development while aiming to conserve the environment and to save thenatural resources for future use, however, these three propositions are irreconcilable. … One of the solutions is theZero Emissions concept. … In order to put the Zero Emissions concept into practice, reusable materials that would
have low environmental impact, as an alternative for the exhaustible energies, or energies with less CO2emissions are highly desirable; among such candidates, the most feasible resource is so-called “biomass”. Humanbeings will establish for the first time a sustainable society—the Zero Emissions society—only if we can combine
biomass resources and natural energies and utilize them.”

UNU-ZEF Chairman (2000-2004)
The late Dr. Keizo Yamaji, Former Chairman, Nihon Tetra Pak K. K. / Former President, Canon Inc.
“The essence of Zero Emissions is a methodology, using an analogy from natural ecosystem, to create asustainable society that achieves high economic and social efficiency. Human beings once lived in the ecosystem(“natural zero emissions” system), but withdrew from it as years passed by. What’s more, we thoroughly studied
the world of nature by developing various theories and knowledge, and conquered and governed the nature inorder to make full use of it for our own convenience and well-being. In that process, we had begun to destroy the“natural zero emissions” system. … Now awakened humankind has realized we must go back to the naturalecosystem, …the first thing we have to do is to return nature to its original conditions, …then we need to learn
from the system of “natural zero emissions”. Once we learn all about it, we can apply such a system to establish a
Zero Emissions in human activities, where ecology and human’s welfare are well balanced at some point—that iswhere all human beings shall head for.”２．Major activities＜Cooperative Studies to Projects Funded by the Education Ministry＞＜Symposia＞
1994

United Nations University Research Initiative（ZERI）was started.

1995

The 1 World Conference on Zero Emissions, Tokyo (Japan)

1996

The 2 World Conference on Zero Emissions, Chattanooga (USA)1997

The 3 World Conference on Zero Emissions Jakarta (Indonesia)

1998

The 4 World Conference on Zero Emissions, (Namibia)

1999

1997-2001 Priority Research Area, Grant-in Aid for Scientific Research, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Scienceand Technology (MEXT) “Development of Zero Emissions Material Recycling Process”
Chief Researcher: Prof. Motoyuki Suzuki

stnd

2001-2004 Special Coordination Fund for Comprehensive Joint Research (MEXT)“Development of a Yakushima Model of Sustainable Society System”rdChief Researcher: Prof. Motoyuki Suzuki

thThe Zero Emissions International Conference “Philosophy of a Sustainable Society and Self-sustained Corporations and1997-present

Chair: Prof. Motoyuki Suzuki

Local Communities”

2000

UNU Zero Emissions Forum (ZEF) was founded.

2000

Zero Emissions Symposium 2000

2001

The Final Reporting Session (Priority Research Area, Grant-in Aid for Scientific Research, Ministry of＜Seminars and Workshops＞
Fiscal Year 2001
Special Seminar on “Environment ISO ＋ Zero Emissions (Co-organizer: JETRO and JMA)

Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) “Development of Zero Emissions Material

Venue: Osaka, Naha, Chiba, Nagano, Joetsu, Oita, Kagoshima, Kochi, Kawasaki, Amagasaki, Yamagata, Hamamatsu

Recycling Process”

Workshop on “Towards a Sustainable Resource-recycling Society- Promoting Recycling and Enhancing Public Awareness

The First Lecture Meeting “Realizing a Resource-recycling Society by development of networking among（7 workshops）

industry, local governments and academia”
Zero Emissions Symposium 2001 “Zero Emissions Economy and Utilization of Biological Resources”
2002

Japan Society of the Promotion of Science Zero Emissions No. 168 Committee

Fiscal Year 2002
Workshop on “Methods for Realizing of a Sustainable Society at Regional Communities”（5 workshops）
Fiscal Year 2003

The 3rd Annual Symposium

Academic Seminar on “Socio-Economic System of a Sustainable Society on the Theoretical Economics (5 workshops）

International Symposium, “IT and the Environment”

ZEF Summer Seminar in Kyoto, “ZE Technologies and Case Studies”

Zero Emissions Symposium 2002, “Clean Energy and Zero Emissions”
2003

Zero Emissions Symposium 2003, “New Action Models Aiming for a Zero Emissions-based Society”
2004＜Overseas Researches and Symposia＞

The 4th Annual Symposium, “Towards the Establishment of a Zero Emissions Society”
2000

Empirical Pre-study and International Workshop on Synergies and Co-operation in Integrative Approaches towards
Eco-restructuring together with Factor 10 Institute, Carnoules (France)

the 5th Annual Symposium “Towards the Establishment of a Zero Emissions Society”

German-Japanese symposium on integrated approaches towards sustainability at the Fraunhofer Society and with

Zero Emissions 10th Anniversary Symposium “Towards a Global Model of a Sustainable Society”

support from German-Japanese Cooperation Council on High-technology and Environmental Techniques, Munich(Germany)＜Joint Forums with Local Governments＞
1994

2001

UNU Zero Emissions Mission to Tianjin (China)

2002

Zero Emissions Seminar in Tunisia, Tunis (Tunisia)
Japan-China Joint Environment Symposium on “Aiming for a Sustainable Society”, Beijing (China)st

The 1 Zero Emissions Round Table
st

2003

The 1 Zero Emissions Round Table
1996

The 1st Zero Emissions National Network Conference

funded by the European Commission (EC) and the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Riga (Latvia)
2004

The 3rd Zero Emissions Network UNU Conference- Zero Emissions: A New Stream Boosted by Local Communities and Corporations

2003

ZEF in Mie Pref., “Towards a Zero Emissions Society Harmonized with Nature”

Workshop on "Solving the E-Waste Problem" during the International Conference Electronic Goes Green 2004+ inBerlin (Germany)

The 2nd Zero Emissions Network UNU Conference
1998

International Conference on Integrative Approaches towards Sustainability in cooperation with the University of Latvia;

2004

Japan-China Symposium on Water Management, Kunming (China)
Zero Emissions Forum in Guiyang, (China)

ZEF in Mishima City, “Development of a Zero Emissions Society by Realizing Resource-recycling Systems within aCommunity”
2004

ZEF in Miyagi, “Zero Emissions and Eco-Business” (Miyagi Pref.)ZEF in Itabashi, “How to teach the Environmental issues at School” (Itabashi Ward)ZEF in Iwate, “The Benevolent Cycle of Ecology and Economy at Regional Communities” (Iwate Pref.)ZEF in Kawasaki, “Towards a Sustainable Society by Implementing Zero Emissions” (Kawasaki City)＜Partnerships with Other Institutions＞
The Natural Step International (TNSi), Korea National Cleaner Production Center (KNCPC), University of Thessaloniki,Indonesian UNDP, the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the Austrian government(Including those under discussion)