500彩票网

In April 2024, the University of Tokyo (500彩票网) installed the newly created executive positions of special presidential envoys for the U.N. Ocean Decade and for global commons, respectively. Their tasks entail communicating information, as well as expressing opinions as 500彩票网 representatives in the international arena. In this dialogue, the envoys, Project Professor Yutaka Michida (for the U.N. Ocean Decade) and Project Professor Naoko Ishii (for global commons), talk about their missions and what they have been working on so far. The discussion was facilitated by Professor Tomohiko Kawamura, head of the Division for Strategic Communications (formerly Division for Strategic Public Relations). (The interview took place on April 14, 2025, in the president’s reception room.)

Tackling global challenges through industry-government-academia collaboration

Kawamura: What did President Teruo Fujii convey when appointing you as the special presidential envoys?
Ishii: I served as CEO of from 2012 until I joined the University of Tokyo in 2020, when I assumed the role of director of . The term “global commons” refers to the stable and resilient Earth system. Today’s economic system is at odds with our planet, stretching the limits of Earth’s boundaries and causing environmental destruction in many places. Yet, we still lack governance mechanisms to protect the global commons. I initially proposed to then-500彩票网 President Makoto Gonokami that we needed an organization to study the ways in which to protect the global commons. The current president later expanded on that idea, which, I believe, eventually led to the creation of the special presidential envoy position. Global challenges, beyond just environmental issues, are becoming increasingly pressing matters. I believe universities must play a proactive role in protecting the global commons, in collaboration with the industry and government sectors. That’s the mission I’ve embraced as the special presidential envoy for global commons.
Michida: Since 2023, I’ve been serving as chairperson of of UNESCO. Back in 2017, the U.N. General Assembly declared 2021–2030 as the U.N. Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (or Ocean Decade), an idea originally proposed by the IOC. Although many countries are now engaged in related initiatives, I believe President Fujii felt the level of public awareness left much to be desired. I also serve as secretary of the Japan National Committee for the U.N. Ocean Decade. I think President Fujii appointed me as the special presidential envoy for the U.N. Ocean Decade with expectations for me to pour efforts into amplifying academic contributions, especially to advance domestic efforts in Japan.
Kawamura: Professor Ishii, could you tell us more about the CGC’s activities?
Ishii: One of our projects is , launched in 2021 with a group of Japanese companies. It’s an industry-academia platform aimed at developing a pathway for Japan’s decarbonization. Despite our trials and tribulations, I believe it’s been a valuable experience for us to try out the frameworks that are being implemented overseas. We’ve also been engaged in developing rules for “Nature on the Balance Sheet,” an effort to place monetary value on natural capital. At a time when our economic system is about to breach Earth’s planetary boundaries, we must integrate the value of natural capital into the economic decision-making process. The international community is currently making new rules for that. We should discuss how Japan can participate in that process and contribute proactively toward the creation of rules for protecting the global commons.

Accomplishing Olympian feats in ocean science as well

Kawamura: Professor Michida, you’re the first Japanese to chair the IOC — the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (not to be confused with the more familiar International Olympic Committee).
Michida: The IOC’s immediate challenge has become addressing geopolitical instability. While the IOC is an organization that serves as a forum to discuss ocean science, it’s also an intergovernmental organization, meaning what it decides entails deep involvement by governments. We present ourselves as an organ for scientific discussion, but we’re not entirely removed or unaffected by international affairs. The 40 countries that serve on the Executive Council are elected by the IOC’s 150 member states. At the 2023 IOC Assembly, for the first time in the organization’s history, Russia failed to win a seat on the Executive Council. Under such circumstances, we’ve been having difficulties managing the commission. One notable development for the U.N. Ocean Decade was the adoption of the legally binding agreement for the conservation and sustainable development of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBJN agreement). Since the IOC manages much of the data on marine biodiversity, engaging with this agreement is now an urgent task.　
Kawamura: As part of the global commons, how does the ocean differ from land?
Ishii: The ocean is one of the most critical parts of the global commons. It acts as a massive buffer in the Earth system and humanity has relied heavily on it. But we’ve pushed it too far. Today, the ocean still is the pillar of the global commons. But it’s now in a dangerous state. The ocean is the place where all the damage from the clash between humans and our planet ultimately ends up and accumulates.
Michida: The ocean intrinsically has enormous capacity, both in terms of size and water volume. Its immense scale makes changes hard to detect. As a result, the damage has been piling up. The ocean also feeds into terrestrial ecosystems. The U.N. Ocean Decade initiative kicked off from a shared sense of urgency. Researchers are doing their best. But we must also share this sense of crisis and engage the public.
Ishii: That’s a real dilemma. The global commons community has spent the last decade going back and forth, saying: Should we scare people more? No, scaring them would only cause them to recoil. We should rather emphasize hope. Nah, it’s better to scare them ..., and so on. And while we are debating, we end up running out of time. I often wonder why scientific messages aren’t driving people to action. Those dealing with environmental issues feel stuck in a rut. But now, with the rise of the second Trump administration in the U.S., getting things done is becoming even harder.
Michida: We will eventually turn people off if we only preach crisis. But we can’t protect the ocean without public engagement. We need ways to get people involved without resorting to just scare tactics. People will get behind messages like, “Let’s reduce plastic waste.” But we also need people who are willing to dive deeper than that.

    

Professing knowledge is not enough

Ishii: That’s exactly where academia, industry and government sectors need to work together. Universities can no longer be a place to provide only knowledge. They need to help translate knowledge into policy and work alongside government to drive real change.
Michida: It’s not like everyone needs to do applied research, but we do need to nurture people who will devote themselves to interdisciplinary research. We’re already nurturing such talent, but I believe we need to invest even more in that effort.
Ishii: Why is it that we haven’t produced more students like that?
Kawamura: When students study science, they often get deeply engaged in their specialized fields and enjoy that. I suppose the issue is there is a division between such students and those who strive to solve global issues, and their worlds do not overlap. We haven’t had enough people who understand both sides and can bridge the chasm.
Michida: As for the ocean, there is the issue of managing and utilizing coastal areas. For example, it’s not easy to protect the environment while developing offshore wind power. That’s why in Europe, they have been working on creating marine spatial planning approaches to the sustainable use and development of the ocean over the past decade. Since European countries share coastlines, it’s crucial for them to coordinate and work closely with each other. Thus, the European Union has taken the lead in building pan-European marine spatial planning.
Ishii: So, this goes to show that politics provided a clear direction.
Michida: Yes, and the Europeans have invested through funding as well. Projects create jobs, and that will lead to nurturing human resources. Europe seems to be doing reasonably well on that front.
Kawamura:  In Japan, I think fishery rights are a bottleneck. Since fishing communities hold those rights, it’s not easy for the government to intervene.
Ishii: That’s exactly where the government should take the lead.
Michida: The creation of marine spatial plans in Japan was stipulated in the nation’s Fourth Basic Plan on Ocean Policy. That means the government aims to find workable solutions while acknowledging the concerns Professor Kawamura just pointed out. Even major fishing nation Norway has been developing plans through dialogue with stakeholders. Japan can do the same. We just need to start with regions where it’s feasible and build up successful case studies from there.
Ishii: I believe conscientious fishers already self-regulate their catches, thinking if they overfish now, they will be in trouble next year. Such efforts should be possible.
Michida: Due to Japan’s shrinking population, the number of fishers is on the decline. And that might provide a breakthrough. It’s possible to have discussions about ways to make use of the ocean while respecting fishing rights. Academia’s role is to create multilayered marine spatial planning — from small to large — and evaluate how these plans affect the economy. This is the natural capital valuation Professor Ishii introduced at the 12th World Ocean Summit held in March.

Pricing the priceless

Ishii: The reason why the global commons are being damaged is that our economic system has not yet been able to properly put a value on this Earth system. We must ensure that those who help preserve the global commons receive benefits. The CGC is working to build systems that make this possible. We’re now in an era of “pricing the priceless” to value the planet. Without proper valuation, humans will destroy nature.
Michida: But pricing only works when it’s tied to exchangeability. Without that, it’s meaningless.
Ishii: Exactly. And natural capital needs to be included in the balance sheet. The triggers are transactions and contracts. Academia must nurture professionals who can assign monetary value to natural capital and integrate it into financial reports. We need people who can operate not just across academic disciplines, but also in the real world, interacting, for example, with accountants, rating agencies and regulators.
Michida: There definitely are students with such aspirations. It’s the university’s job to help them grow.
Ishii: The important thing is for the leaders to show clear direction. After the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, the world began investing in decarbonization technologies. Because people believed that was the direction we were headed. But we haven’t yet seen a similar global shift for “nature-positive” goals. We haven’t found a clear path like we did with climate change. But, if we can properly define ways to value natural capital, I believe society will take a leap forward.
Michida: Curiosity-driven research is essential, but we also need to invest enough resources to nurture people for solution-driven research. The university needs to make that choice.
Ishii: And that’s a decision that must be made under presidential leadership.
Kawamura: Perhaps persuading the president could also be considered one of the missions of the special presidential envoys. Thank you both very much for your time today.