Makiko Matsuo

Governance for sustainability: knowledge integration and multi-actor dimensions in risk management

Sustainability has many dimensions, including various aspects of environmental, social and economic sustainability. This paper proposes an analytical framework of risk-related governance for sustainability, based on literature review, focusing on two dimensions—knowledge integration and multi-actor governance. Knowledge integration necessitates wider coverage of predicted and anticipated risks and information on those risks. Multi-actor governance necessitates mechanisms that enable cooperation among actors. The relevance of this analytical framework is then checked using concrete cases of governance for reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), and the possible case of governance for sustainable phosphorus management.

Activities without institutionalization: Limits and lessons of TA and TA-like activities in Japan

Even though the TA has not been institutionalized in Japan, there have been many TA and TA- like activities, in areas including food, healthcare, energy and technology strategy, since the idea of TA was introduce from the US. This paper analyzes the nature and limits of those TA and TA like activities; and the lessons for institutionalization of TA in the context of Japan are discussed, including the need for flexible framing and collaboration, the importance of appropriate distance, and the role of the Diet‥

Protecting human security: proposals for the G7 Ise-Shima Summit in Japan.

In todays highly globalised world, protecting human security is a core challenge for political leaders who are simultaneously dealing with terrorism, refugee and migration crises, disease epidemics, and climate change. Promoting universal health coverage (UHC) will help prevent another disease outbreak similar to the recent Ebola outbreak in west Africa, and create robust health systems, capable of withstanding future shocks. Robust health systems, in turn, are the prerequisites for achieving UHC. We propose three areas for global health action by the G7 countries at their meeting in Japan in May, 2016, to protect human security around the world: restructuring of the global health architecture so that it enables preparedness and responses to health emergencies; development of platforms to share best practices and harness shared learning about the resilience and sustainability of health systems; and strengthening of coordination and financing for research and development and system innovations for global health security. Rather than creating new funding or organisations, global leaders should reorganise current financing structures and institutions so that they work more effectively and efficiently. By making smart investments, countries will improve their capacity to monitor, track, review, and assess health system performance and accountability, and thereby be better prepared for future global health shocks.: In todays highly globalised world, protecting human security is a core challenge for political leaders who are simultaneously dealing with terrorism, refugee and migration crises, disease epidemics, and climate change. Promoting universal health coverage (UHC) will help prevent another disease outbreak similar to the recent Ebola outbreak in west Africa, and create robust health systems, capable of withstanding future shocks. Robust health systems, in turn, are the prerequisites for achieving UHC. We propose three areas for global health action by the G7 countries at their meeting in Japan in May, 2016, to protect human security around the world: restructuring of the global health architecture so that it enables preparedness and responses to health emergencies; development of platforms to share best practices and harness shared learning about the resilience and sustainability of health systems; and strengthening of coordination and financing for research and development and system innovations for global health security. Rather than creating new funding or organisations, global leaders should reorganise current financing structures and institutions so that they work more effectively and efficiently. By making smart investments, countries will improve their capacity to monitor, track, review, and assess health system performance and accountability, and thereby be better prepared for future global health shocks.

Dissipation and Recycling: What Losses, What Dissipation Impacts, and What Recycling Options?

This chapter describes the activities in the Dissipation and Recycling Node of Global TraPs, a multistakeholder project on the sustainable management of the global phosphorus (P) cycle. Along the P supply and demand chain, substantial amounts are lost, notably in mining, processing, agriculture via soil erosion, food waste, manure, and sewage sludge. They are not only critical with respect to wasting an essential resource, but also contribute to severe environmental impacts such as eutrophication of freshwater ecosystems or the development of dead zones in oceans. The Recycling and Dissipation Node covers the phosphorus system from those points where phosphate-containing waste or losses have occurred or been produced by human excreta, livestock, and industries. This chapter describes losses and recycling efforts, identifies knowledge implementation and dissemination gaps as well as critical questions, and outlines potential transdisciplinary case studies. Two pathways toward sustainable P management are in focus: To a major goal of sustainable P management therefore must be to (1) quantify P stocks and flows in order to (2) identify key areas for minimizing losses and realizing recycling opportunities. Several technologies already exist to recycle P from different sources, including manure, food waste, sewage, and steelmaking slag; however, due to various factors such as lacking economic incentives, insufficient regulations, technical obstacles, and missing anticipation of unintended impacts, only a minor part of potential secondary P resources has been utilized. Minimizing losses and increasing recycling rates as well as reducing unintended environmental impacts triggered by P dissipation require a better understanding of the social, technological, and economic rationale as well as the intrinsic interrelations between nutrient cycling and ecosystem stability. A useful approach will be to develop new social business models integrating innovative technologies, corporate strategies, and public policies. That requires intensive collaboration between different scientific disciplines and, most importantly, among a variety of key stakeholders, including industry, farmers, and government agencies.

The Impact of Regulatory Change on Trading Partners: Race to the Bottom or Convergence to the Top?

Japan-China agricultural trade is on the increase. However, as is represented by the Japan-China “frozen spinach case” in 2002, food safety is causing a major trade conflict. In May 2006, Japan greatly strengthened its regulation on chemical residues in food by enforcing Positive List System for Agricultural Chemical Residues in Food. What impact will this regulatory change have on its trading partners and non-state actors? The objective of this paper is to explore the impact of Japan’s introduction of stringent food safety regulation on China’s regulations based on the arguments of International Relations. The paper offers a hypothesis for future scenarios and an analysis of key mechanisms through which “Race to the top” takes place. It argues that Japan’s positive list system requires China to improve its food process management system, which could be considerably costly. Nonetheless, the paper also suggests China has many reasons to improve its system. It concludes that in the short term, it is likely that food safety regulation for export is enhanced. Whether this measure is enforced throughout China in the long run depends on who is willing to accept the cost of the institutional, social and regulatory change in the whole food safety system.

Institutional options and operational issues in technology assessment: Lessons from experiences in the United States and Europe

This paper illuminates widening variety of technology assessment (TA) activities by parliamentary organizations and other bodies in the United States and Europe. It also illustrates a range of institutional options for TA from the view of its key elements, and examines the operational issues. Based on extensive interviews with TA practitioners and other related actors, we identified the recent direction of TA activities and provide discussion materials for states and regions in which there is a growing concern about the institutionalization of TA functions.