Sustainable Consumption in Asia:
The 6th International Symposium for Future Earth in Asia

Date & Hours: Monday, January 15, 2018, 10:00 - 17:30
Venue: Clock Tower Centennial Hall I, Kyoto University( →Access)
Organizer: Research Institute for Humanity and Nature / Regional Centre for Future Earth in Asia
Co-organizer: Research Institute for Humanity and Nature,in collaboration with the Future Earth Research Unit, Kyoto University
Languages: English/Japanese simultaneous translation
Outline and objectives: Flyer

This international symposium addresses how low- and middle- income countries in Asia can achieve enhanced, equitable and resilient well-being without this development leading to massive ecological overshoot.

Current trends in global development are not sustainable and to a large extent this is a reflection of our society’s patterns of consumption and production. The need to change the way we produce and consume has been recognized for a long time. The recently adopted United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development reaffirmed the overarching importance of sustainable consumption and production (SCP) and to "Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns" is included in the Sustainable Development Goal as a separate Goal (SDG 12).

Research on SCP has focused on “over-consuming North”, where consumerism and consumer society are most directly applicable, giving rise to an unsustainable cycle of continuous growth and increasing throughput of materials. Though in the global South, for large numbers of people insufficient consumption may be the most pressing problem, it would be misleading to portray global consumption in terms of an “over-consuming North” and an “under-consuming South.” A high-consuming middle class already exists in many countries of the South and is growing rapidly.

Bringing together researchers on SCP and actors in Japan and Asia, the Symposium aims to lay the foundation for a nuanced framing of SCP that takes account of historical developments in (post-) industrialized regions as well as the characteristics of developing societies. This event is also expected to contribute to the newly formed Future Earth Knowledge-Action Network on Systems of Sustainable Consumption and Production (KAN-SSCP) by providing perspectives from Asia.

The Symposium is open to interested citizens, researchers and practioners.

⇒ Future Earth Asia Centre Event page

⇒ Please register from here.

Inquiries: Regional Centre for Future Earth in Asia E-mail

Programme(The programme is to be updated.)

  1. Keynote speakers:
  2. Maurie Cohen,Professor and Director of the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at the New Jersey Institute of Technology,USA

    Chandra Bhushan,Deputy Director General of Centre for Science and Environment,India

  3. Session 1: Leapfrogging Development - its Challenges and Opportunities
  4. ・Patrick Schroeder Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies

    ・Manisha Anantharaman Assistant Professor, Saint Mary's College of California

  5. Session 2: Approaches and Experiences from Japan
  6. Moderator: Masayo Hasegawa Senior Researcher, International Environment and Economy Institute/Future Earth Engagement Committee member

    ・Takaaki Iwata Manager, Policy Planning Department, Kyoto Prefectural Government

    ・Yuriko Yamamoto Secretary General, Aeon Environmental Foundation

    ・Shizuko Shimomura Board member, Citizens Environmental Foundation

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