Japan Center for a Sustainable Environment and Society (JACSES)

MORE ABOUT JACSES

Our Goal
To realize a sustainable environment and society in Japan and around the world through broad participation and cooperation of citizens and professionals.

Our Objectives
To analyze and evaluatie Japanese environmental policy and provide information on the environment and relevant policy movements in Japan.

To monitor and assess Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) and international financial institutions (IFIs), in terms of environmental and social impacts.

To monitor decision-making procedures at the Earth Summit (UN Conference on Environment and Development) in 1992 and encourage the participation and cooperation of citizens and citizen groups in the process of UNCED follow-up.

Our Background
Japanese environmental NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) have been increasingly challenged in recent years by citizens and organizations, both within Japan and abroad, to publicize their own analysis and alternatives.

The concept of an independent center (NGO think tank) for the research of environmental issues and policy options and for the distribution of information arose among Japanese participants at the 1992 Earth Summit conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This led to the establishment of JACSES in June, 1993.

Initially, JACSES published reports and organized international meetings and seminars focused on domestic and international activities after the Earth Summit.

In 1995, JACSES started the Sustainable Development Aid Program (SDAP), to analyze the environmental considerations taken by the Japanese government in its bilateral and multilateral aid.

JACSES also performed research on "environmental capacity" to consider alternatives to the pattern of massive production/consumption/waste in Japan and other advanced countries.

The concept and methodology of environmental capacity, which are crucial guides to the realization of a sustainable society, form the basis for JACSES' "green tax reform" project, whose purpose is to develop concrete policy proposals to move global society toward sustainability.

History of JACSES

1993 Apr.	JACSES established
Oct.	Publication of "Citizens' Guide to Post-Earth Summit Follow-up" (J'se)
1994 Mar.	Publication of "Survey Report on Earth Summit Follow-up Activities"
Apr.	Initiated survey of international situation of Earth Summit follow-up activities
Nov.	Publication of "Living Together on Earth: Farewell to Over-consumption" (J'se)
1995 Jan.	Publication of "International Situation Concerning Climate Change" (J'se)
Feb.	Publication of "Current Situation and Issues of the UN Committee on Sustainable Development (UNCSD)" (J'se) Publication of "Trade, Environment and Sustainable Development" (J'se)
Apr.	Initiation of <Sustainable Development Aid Program>
May	Participation in the NGO strategy meeting for organization of "NGO Forum on the ADB" Initiation of <Living Together on Earth: Calculating Environmental Capacity> project
Jun.	Initiation of a comparative international study of environmental policy in Official Development Assistance (ODA) Publication of the first of JACSES' Briefing Paper Series, "Sustainable Development and International Assistance" (The Briefing Paper Series, or BPS, is now a quarterly publication)
1996 Mar.	Publication of "Current International Situation Concerning the Biodiversity Treaty" (J'se)
Sep.	Publication of "Environmental and Sustainable Development in Official Development Assistance since the 1992 Earth Summit" (Eng.)(J'se)
Nov.	Organized an NGO workshop on Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) reform
Dec.	Organized a seminar, "Five Years from the Earth Summit: Toward a sustainable Society" (at Tokyo/Asia YMCA Youth Center)
1997 Mar.	Publication of the report on above-mentioned seminar (J'se) Publication of "Environmental Considerations in ODA and Sustainable Development" (J'se) Organized "Living Together on Earth: Environmental Capacity Workshop," at meeting room of Environmental Partnership Office, Tokyo.
Apr.	Initiation of the <MoF-NGO Regular Consultation>. JACSES becomes the secretariat for the NGO side.
May	Participated in 30th ADB (Asian Development Bank) annual meeting, held in Fukuoka city. Publication of an NGO press-kit, for domestic and foreign NGOs. (J'se)
1998 Feb.	Organized international seminar, "Current State and Issues Toward Sustainable Production/Consumption Patterns," at Tokyo Youth Olympic Center.
Oct.	Publication of a report on the above seminar (J'se)
1999 Feb.	Organized international seminar, "The Path to Sustainable Energy in Asia," at Tokyo Youth Olympic Center. Initiation of <Green Tax/Finance Program>
Jun.	Publication of "Environmental Capacity Research and Calculation: Toward the Realization of a Sustainable, Earth Citizens Society" (J'se)
Oct.	Publication of the seminar report, "The Path to Sustainable Energy in Asia" (J'se)
Nov.	Organized an open study group on "Green Finance," at Tokyo International Cooperation Plaza.
2000 Oct.	Publication of "Thinking About Taxes and Finance from the Environmental Perspective" (J'se)
2001 Mar.	Organized international seminar, "Thinking About Taxes and Finance from the Environmental Perspective,"
May.	Organized international seminar, "Aid and Accountability"
2002 Aug.	Organized international seminar, "Crisis of Rio+10,"
2003 Mar.	Organized international seminar, "Green Tax as a Trump Card"

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Japan Center for a Sustainable Environment and Society (JACSES)
401, Sanshin Bldg., 2-3-2 Iidabashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0072 Japan
Phone: +81-3-3556-7323 Fax: +81-3-3556-7328　Email: