Details of the Initiative
In 1972, the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was held in Stockholm, Sweden, the first country in the world to hold extensive talks on environmental issues. The Nordic countries lead the world in sustainability, as can be seen in the fact that Ms. Brundtland, who later became the Prime Minister of Norway, led the United Nations committee that was the first in the world to call for sustainable development. Based on my long experience living in Sweden, the largest country among the Nordic nations, I analyze the social systems of the Nordic countries and the attitudes of the people living there and compare them with those of Japan. I study what we can do to build a more sustainable society in Japan and disseminate the results to the world.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the university held seminars with students in Scandinavian countries every year. At present, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are instead engaged in various exchanges of views with local high school and university students through online exchanges, and are exploring with students how Japan should be in the future based on our knowledge. Recently, we have learned from the sustainability efforts of companies originating in Northern Europe, such as IKEA, and discussed ways to promote these efforts in Japan, especially among young people.
