Address from the Editor-in-Chief
Significant Achievements of 2015 (24th) Blue Planet Prize laureates
The 2015 Blue Planet Prize was awarded to Sir Partha Dasgupta and Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, whose contributions to progress on the issues of poverty and wealth are highly regarded. Allow me to comment on the reasons behind their selection.
2015 marks the 24th presentation of the Blue Planet Prize. Two Blue Planet Prizes are awarded to individuals or organizations each year, the prize has been awarded to a total of 48 Blue Planet Prizes. To date, there have been just three Japanese recipients. The majority of recipients have been individuals and organizations overseas actively engaged in restoration of the global environment.
It may seem that research on the environment runs along similar lines everywhere; however, the environment in Japan is very unique. For this reason, Japan’s history of environmental research is unique compared with that of other countries. Environmental research in Japan is of the problem-solving type, because, perhaps, the Japanese have to address the issue of pollution while overseas environmental research has focused on global and ecosystem mechanisms along with environmental preservation. This does not mean, however, that overseas research is conducted from the scientific viewpoint only. Overseas researchers also recognize human activity as an environmental stress factor.
In 2004, the prize was given to Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, the first Blue Planet Prize winner for her work in environmental preservation and economic growth. Human activity aimed at economic growth has a markedly adverse impact on the environment. Since then, the number of economists receiving the prize has been increasing. Lord Nicholas Stern of Brentford and Professor Hirofumi Uzawa received the prize in 2009, Professor Herman Daly in 2014, and Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs and Sir Partha Dasgupta, as I mentioned above, in 2015.
The majority of environmental destruction caused by the economic activity of major companies has been resolved solely in advanced countries. However, to maintain the steady-state economy described by Professor Herman Daly, it is essential to address poverty in developing countries. The reason for this is that poverty leads to environmental destruction.
The environment can become a subject of consideration, that is, a subject of relatively higher intellectual activity, only after a society becomes mature and economically affluent. In this meaning, we can see that the issue of poverty is not only a problem for developing countries, but a problem that the entire world needs to address.
Unfortunately, however, poverty has become an even more serious problem because of the increase in the number of refugees and the economic gap. It is clear that the current global situation is detrimental to environmental preservation. Against this background, the 2015 Blue Planet Prize was given to individuals who considered the issue of poverty from the environmental and economic viewpoints.
It is my pleasure to announce the achievements of the 2015 prize winners through this official website, and I feel this is a great opportunity for all of us who share the earth to consider how we can best solve the problem of poverty.
Itaru Yasui
Former Vice-Rector, United Nations University
Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo