What’s New From IGES

Institute for Global Environmental Strategies

September 2013

IGES Newsletter

At the plenary sessions, the significance of green economy and a new development model from the standpoint of the Asia-Pacific region were considered and there was a discussion on the possibilities for knowledge-sharing and collaboration among developed and developing countries for the sake of build-ing low-carbon societies. Parallel sessions were held on a diverse range of timely topics, including dealing with climate change issues, improving resource efficiency, enhancing local resilience, city-to-city cooperation, investing

Rapid economic growth has given the Asia-Pacific region a leading role in the global economy, and instead of following conven-tional models of development, it is urgently necessary to transition to a green economy centered around low-carbon development, resource-saving, and better well-being.

Every year, IGES holds the International Forum for Sustainable Asia and the Pacific (ISAP; co-organised by the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies) as a forum of internationally-active experts and representatives of businesses, governments, international organisations and NGOs, for wide-ranging discussions concerning sus-tainable development. The fifth ISAP was held in Yokohama on 23-24 July 2013 under the overall theme of “Paving the Way for a Sustainable Asia-Pacific: Regional Perspec-tives on Green Economy,” with a total of about 1,000 participants.

Concurrent Annual Meetings Held by Research Networks for Low-Carbon Societies

Poster Session by Graduate Students

The International Research Network for Low Carbon Societies (LCS-RNet) and the Low Carbon Asia Research Network (LoCARNet) held annual meetings in Yokohama around the same time as ISAP. LCS-RNet is a worldwide network of research institutions and researchers aiming for the realisation of low-carbon societies, and LoCARNet is the network for knowledge sharing and ca-pacity building for low-carbon development policies in Asia. These two organisations were also active at ISAP, conducting joint sessions at the forum. IGES has been involved in these networks as secretariat.

To promote active par-ticipation in ISAP by the younger genera-tion, a poster session was held for graduate students. Eight post-ers were exhibited with the cooperation of four universities (Yokohama National University, Yokohama City University, Keio University Shonan Fujisawa Campus, and United Nations University), and the students eagerly ex-plained their research. Two award recipients were selected through voting by ISAP participants and speakers.

in renewable energies, and current trends on green growth in Myanmar. Case reports were shared on specific efforts for building a green economy by national and local governments, international organisations and businesses, and participants exchanged views concerning the challenges and future perspective of each endeavour, with input from the research find-ings and knowledge held by IGES. On its web-site, IGES has released session summaries presenting the key messages and knowledge shared at each session of ISAP.

Participants discuss green economy

ISAP session with LoCARNet

1September 2013

What’s New From IGES

IGES is conducting joint research* with the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), India on taking energy-efficient, low-carbon technologies developed by private Japanese companies and introducing them to small and medium Indian businesses.

Based on on-site surveys in various loca-tions around India and multiple studies con-cerning the effects and economic feasibility of introducing such technologies, the electric heat pump was selected as a technology that has the potential to be used widely in India. The first one in India was installed at a milk

IGES began the Fukushima Action Research on Effective Decontamination Operation (FAIRDO) in 2012 following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant ac-cident, to develop a proposal for effective decontamination in collaboration with local governments and communities in Fukushima, based on European experiences after Cherno-byl. This joint study is being performed by an interdisciplinary team composed of Japanese and European experts.

The team has recently published a report on challenges of decontamination; commu-nity regeneration and livelihood rehabilitation, summarising its research findings thus far and presenting recommendations on overall recon-struction policy, including decontamination.

The first round-table discussion for devel-oping a basis of consensus-building towards

In promotion of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014), IGES has continuously engaged in policy research and capacity development projects related to Education for Sustain-able Development (ESD). Considering the needs for effectively advancing ESD in the Asia-Pacific region, IGES has worked in col-

plant in Chandigarh, Punjab. This news was featured in many media reports in India, reflecting the expectation that such technolo-gies from Japan will become widespread in the processing industry in general, not just the dairy industry.

IGES expects that this research project will result in a 54% reduction in primary energy, a 47% reduction in CO2 emissions, and a 77% reduction in energy costs in the demonstra-tion site. With this electric heat pump instal-lation as a starting point, IGES will continue introducing energy-efficient, low-carbon tech-

reconstruction was held at Fukushima University on 26 July 2013 with government officials, citizens’ groups, decontamination businesses as well as domestic and interna-tional experts. Participants exchanged views concerning regional meetings on consultation and consensus-building on regional issues for

laboration with the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on a project to develop research-based indicators for the monitoring and evaluation of ESD.

This project was developed with respect to the nearing end of the UN Decade of ESD (2005-2014) with the overall objectives of establishing regionally-relevant indica-tors of ESD to assess the implementation of ESD in the Asia-Pacific region, assessing the impacts of the Decade, and identifying mechanisms for further improvement of ESD into the future. In the first phase of this study, research was conducted in two parallel processes across a total of nine countries in East and Southeast Asia for both quantitative evaluation of national ESD implementation

decontamination and reconstruction, as well as specific themes such as information shar-ing on these issues. FAIRDO will hold a series of round-table discussions of this kind during this year to debate further on approaches to promote reconstruction and rebuilding lives through effective decontamination.

and qualitative assessment of ESD learning performance. A series of policy reports were published concerning the status of ESD implementation in each country, analysis of good practices in ESD, and a framework for the monitoring and evaluation of ESD.

The First Electric Heat Pump at Milk Plant in India

Development of Indicators of “Education for Sustainable Development”

Decontamination towards Reconstruction and Rebuilding Lives

Installing heat pump

Capacity building workshop in Southeast Asia

Local ESD programme in Tongyeong, Korea

The first FAIRDO round-table discussion

*Supported by Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS) by Japan Science and Technology Agency and Japan International Cooperation Agency.

nologies that are suited to the situations and needs of Indian businesses, and will also train personnel to use these technologies.

2 September 2013

IGES Newsletter

Greenhouse gas emissions from the waste sector are a growing problem in developing Asian nations, and there is an urgent need for local government agencies, which are in charge of actual waste management, to take steps in this area. Therefore, IGES Sustainable Consumption and Production Area has devel-oped a “GHG Calculator for Solid Waste Sec-tor,” a simple quantification tool that provides simulation-based estimates of the climate impact of waste management practices.

This calculation tool estimates greenhouse gas emissions from waste management technologies typical of the Asia-Pacific re-gion (transportation, composting, anaerobic

digestion, mechanical biological treatment, recycling, and mixed waste landfilling) and indicates their positive or negative impact on climate change. This enables the local gov-ernment agencies of developing countries to accurately assess greenhouse gas emissions and decide on suitable waste management practices that are climate-friendly.

This tool is available for download from the website of IGES, and anyone may use it free of charge. In the future, IGES plans to add other waste management technologies and geographical coverage so that the tool can be used not only in Asia, but anywhere in the world. It also plans to further improve

User-friendly Calculation Tool for Waste Sector: Offered for Use in Developing Countries

Indonesia is one of the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases if emissions from Land Use Change and Forestry includ-ing peatland are counted, and the country has been taking active steps to combat climate change. In September 2009, Presi-dent Yudhoyono announced the target of reducing greenhouse gases by 26% (or 41% with international assistance) compared to the “business as usual” level (BAU) by 2020, earlier than other ASEAN nations.

To achieve that goal, the government adopted the National Action Plan for Reduc-ing Greenhouse Gas Emissions (RAN-GRK) under a presidential regulation issued in September 2011. The plan specifies actions to be taken by 2020, with annual monitoring and reporting as well as periodic reviews regarding its implementation. It also requires each state government to develop an action plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and the work of formulating these plans has already been completed by every state (excluding West Papua Province).

Among individual sectors, the Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is drawing a high level of interest both domestically and internationally. The government began to develop domestic rules concerning REDD+ early on, with the Ministry of Forestry playing a central role, and the infusion of USD1 billion in financial assistance for the advancement of REDD+ under an agreement with Norway in May 2010 has led to reorganisation of the government’s efforts. A newly formed task force on REDD+ has resulted in a Morato-rium in the form of a Presidential Instruction regarding the suspension of granting new licenses for natural primary forest for two

Steady Progress in Indonesian Climate Change Policy

years and also for peatland (2011), as well as the adoption of the National Strategy of REDD+ (2012). Preparations are currently underway for the establishment of a new government agency for REDD+.

A national action plan is also being developed in the area of adaptation. The government is strengthening its systems for combating climate change, including the formation of the National Council on Climate Change and the establishment of climate change offices at the level of each minis-try. As an example, the Center for Climate Change Financing and Multilateral Policy has already been launched within the Ministry of Finance.

The advancement of climate change policy in Indonesia is being actively promoted under political leadership from the president through effective collaboration with aid organisations and the use of assistance. Japan provides a wide range of support and conducts various studies. For example, IGES has been involved in a project on capacity development in Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM) that was commissioned by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment starting in 2003 (and later expanded to include support concerning market mechanisms), a project on investiga-tion and capacity development with regard to Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV), a study to monitor progress in climate policy, and cooperative projects at the local level (Surabaya and other locations); and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has also provided generous support including loans and technical cooperation projects. Indonesia is also actively respond-ing to new issues under discussion in inter-national and bilateral negotiations. For exam-

ple, Indonesia is promoting the adoption of a system for measuring and evaluating the effects of domestic mitigation efforts. In ad-dition, Government ministers of Indonesia and Japan have just signed the bilateral document of the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) in August 2013 and further coopera-tion is expected to be promoted.

As I have described above, measures to combat climate change in Indonesia are making steady progress, yet challenges to advance climate change policies remain such as further development of measures for implementing the above action plans. These include financial arrangements as well as developing and implementing a monitor-ing and evaluation system for their efforts. If Indonesia promotes those policies and measures properly, based on the results of its domestic efforts, it has the potential to become a leader in the debate concerning international standardisation in the future. In May 2013, IGES and JICA co-organised a seminar in Tokyo on climate change policy development in Indonesia, and the latest policy developments were discussed with Indonesian government officials. We will continue to note progress in this area and provide reporting on significant policies in proper and timely manner.

Jun Ichihara

At IGES, he has been involved with projects and surveys related to climate change in Indonesia since 2004. From the end of August 2013, he was dispatched to Jakarta as a JICA expert and chief advisor on the Project for Capacity Development for the National Focal Point on Climate Change to Enhance the Coordination and Evaluation of Climate Change Policies in Indonesia.

convenience by making it possible to use the tool in local languages.

For further details, please visit: http://www.iges.or.jp/en/maf/201308.html

Researchers’Viewpoint

Jun Ichihara Senior Policy Researcher, Programme Management Office, IGES

Thai officials learn about quantification of GHG emissions

3September 2013

Copyright © 2013 Institute for Global Environmental Strategies. All rights reserved.

IGES welcomes affiliate members from cor-porations, NGOs, the public and students. The purpose of the IGES affiliate membership is to publicise IGES strategic research activities and ask the members to support IGES activities.

Registered affiliate members receive priori-ty announcements and registrations for sym-posiums and seminars hosted by IGES, as well as IGES publications. IGES puts up the logo marks of membership foundations, corpora-tions and NGOs on the IGES website to show their support. In addition, members receive

Our mail news service, E-alert, is sent out to subscribers, reporting the activities of IGES projects and environmental news.For subscription: http://www.iges.or.jp/en/mailnews/

e-mail: iges@iges.or.jp

IGES Affiliate Membership

Mail News: E-alert

Send comments or suggestionsabout this newsletter

2108-11 Kamiyamaguchi, Hayama, Kanagawa, 240-0115, JapanTel: +81-46-855-3700 / Fax: +81-46-855-3709URL: http://www.iges.or.jp / e-mail: iges@iges.or.jp

Tokyo OfficeNippon Press Center Bldg. 6th Floor, 2-2-1 Uchisaiwai-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0011, JapanTel: +81-3 -3595-1081 / Fax: +81-3-3595-1084

Kansai Research CentreEast Building 5th Floor, Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution, 1-5-2, Kaigan-dori, Waki-no-hama, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 651-0073, JapanTel: +81-78-262-6634 / Fax: +81-78-262-6635

Kitakyushu Urban CentreInternational Village Center 2F, 1-1-1, Hirano, Yahatahigashi-ku,Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, 805-0062, JapanTel: +81- 93-681-1563 / Fax: +81-93-681-1564

Beijing Office [ Sino-Japan Cooperation Project Office ]Sino-Japan Friendship Center for Environmental Protection 5F,Room No. 508, No. 1 Yuhui Nan-lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaTel: +86-10-8463-6314 / Fax: +86-10-8463-6314

IGES Regional Centre604 SG Tower, 6th Floor, 161/1 Soi Mahadlek Luang 3,Rajdamri Road, Patumwan, Bangkok,10330, ThailandTel: +66-2-651-8797 / Fax: +66-2-651-8798

Institute for Global Environmental Strategies

For details, please visit http://www.iges.or.jp/en/outline/member.html

Categories and Membership Fees

Registration Charge Yearly Fee (1unit)

Foundations/Corporations JPY 50,000 JPY 100,000

NGOs JPY 15,000 JPY 30,000

Private Members JPY 5,000 JPY 10,000

Student Members JPY 5,000 JPY 3,000

preferential tax treatment.IGES welcomes all new members and

hopes they will take an active role in IGES re-search activities.

At the IGES Kitakyushu Urban Centre, a Junior Science School for local elementary school students was held jointly with Kyushu Institute of Technology from May to August, 2013 (a series of three sessions). The theme was “Recycling and the five senses: Can kitchen garbage be transformed into delicious vegetables? Learn the strength of the earth.” Children studied the process of composting, which is gaining popularity in Asian cities as an effective way to reduce waste, and tried making their own compost. They also used the compost to grow vegetables and eat them. They were also able to gain knowledge about resource recycling through practical experiences.

Junior Science School in Kitakyushu

Exhibits at Local Events in Kanagawa

IGES provided exhibits and explana-tions concerning its activities and research achievements at the 2013 world environ-ment event agenda day in Yokohama (May 2013) and at an urban development exhibi-tion in Hayama Town (July 2013).

At the “agenda day” event, IGES intro-duced activities of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

Technical Support Unit, which has been established within IGES, and research activities related to climate change issues. At the urban development exhibition, IGES provided easy-to-understand explanations related to the familiar environmental issue of waste disposal, including 3Rs approach (waste reduction, reuse and recycling). Staff introduced the Kitakyushu Urban Cen-tre’s composting projects and distributed

composting soil made from leftover food from the IGES cafeteria.

Explanation on IGES activities

There is an urgent need to promote sustain-able, low-carbon development in urbanising Asia-Pacific region. Municipal governments have an increasingly important role to play in this area. On 8 August 2013, IGES concluded memorandums of understanding (MoU) on partnership and collaboration with Kawasaki City.

Kawasaki City is actively engaged in environmentally-advanced city planning, mak-

ing use of pollution-control technologies and environmental technologies on the basis of its experience in overcoming pollution. Under this MoU, both parties will work toward sus-tainability in the Asia-Pacific region through exchanges of personnel, joint research, and co-hosted lectures and academic seminars, combining the efforts of Kawasaki City with the knowledge of IGES concerning research on sustainable urban development.

Partnership and Collaboration Agreement with Kawasaki City

School children enjoy lessons on recycling

Prof. Hamanaka from IGES with Mayor Abe in Kawasaki City