Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) held the first Advisory Board Meeting of the Planetary Health Project for FY2024 on May 13, 2024.

HGPI formed an advisory board and launched its Planetary Health Project in FY2022 to advance the discussions on planetary health and to contribute to better health for the Earth and its people. Together with our newest advisory board members who joined in FY2024, we plan to advance various initiatives based on advisory board’s discussions.

Currently, there are many global issues related to planetary health, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution that require urgent action. In Japan, attention to planetary health is increasing, as seen in the incorporation of a planetary health perspectives in the “Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Guiding Principles ” (revised on December 19, 2023) and the Sixth Basic Environment Plan (approved by the Cabinet on May 21, 2024). Addressing planetary health challenges requires setting goals that benefit both human and environmental health in ongoing discussions, such as the “GX2040 Vision” for green transformation and the Seventh Basic Energy Plan. In Japan, which faces unique challenges such as frequent natural disasters and an aging and declining population, it is essential to define and broaden the understanding of these challenges through a multi-stakeholder approach to deepen future discussions and resolve issues.

At the first meeting of FY2024, three members presented their awareness of issues and initiatives. The secretariat shared the overall goals and direction of initiatives for this year. These goals and initiatives reflect the knowledge and ideas derived from last year’s Advisory Board and are defined as follows.

Themes to be addressed in this project (example)
This project will be conducted in collaboration with our advisory board and external stakeholders and be centered around the three pillars described below.

1. Climate change:
   Decarbonizing health care system and health care value chains, building climate resilient health care systems, responding to extreme heat/cold and health disorders, climate change and mental health, climate change and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), initiatives related to climate change finance, collaboration with national and international organizations, and research and recommendations related to this domain, etc.

2. Biodiversity loss:
   One health, zoonotic diseases, urban green spaces and wellbeing, international frameworks such as the Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosure (TNFD), handling of genetic information, biodiversity-friendly health care systems, etc.

3. Environmental pollution:
   Pollution measures (such as for air, water, and soil pollution), reduction and proper disposal of medical waste, sustainable and healthy food system (planetary health diet), collaboration with the financial sector, discussions to link to recycling of medical waste, etc. 

Specific initiatives to be undertaken during this project (example)
The five frameworks described below will be utilized in this project in FY2024.

1. Gather and share information related to planetary health
   The project will gather the latest information on planetary health, capture current issues and identify areas for improvement, and share this information through our advisory board and other means.

2. Conduct surveys and research and make policy recommendations
   This project will conduct the surveys and research and make the recommendations needed to shape policy from a planetary healthperspective. For example, the project will conduct a survey to measure awareness among domestic stakeholders and other evidence on issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and the health impacts of environmental pollution will be used to and make policy recommendations based on scientific evidence.

3. Support policy implementation
   This project will provide the necessary support for implementing policies from a planetary health perspective.  The project will work for the inclusion of initiatives for community health promotion, environmental protection, and decarbonization in policy.

4. Promote activities to raise awareness
   This project will promore activities for  to disseminate information about and raise awareness about planetary health. The project will engage in activities to raise awareness among parties such as the general public, businesses, and patient advocacy organizations to increase understanding toward planetary health and encourage actions toward a more sustainable society. Specific activities will include sharing information through HGPI’s website and social networks and hosting seminars and events.

5. Encouraging international collaboration
   Planetary health is a global issue and global cooperation will be essential to address it. By establishing cooperative relationships with related institutions and organizations in Japan and overseas, HGPI will strive to promote planetary health from a global perspective.

 

(The first Planetary Health Project Advisory Board Meeting in FY2024)

 

■The First Advisory Board Meeting

17:00-17:05 Explanatory introduction and past initiatives

Joji Sugawara (Vice President, HGPI)

17:05-17:15 Plans for FY2024

Shu Suzuki (Senior Associate, HGPI)

17:45-17:45 Short comments from each advisory board member

17:45-18:30 Sharing awareness of issues related to planetary health 

Takashi Sasaki (President, Green Practice Japan)
Sho Nagata (Director, Heat Illness Policy Office, Policy Planning Division, Environmental Health Department, Ministry of the Environment)
Saori Kashima (Director of the Center for the Planetary Health and Innovation Science (PHIS), Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences Laboratory, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University)

18:30-18:55 Discussion

18:55-19:00 Future schedule and other notes

Shu Suzuki (Senior Associate, HGPI)

 

Advisory Board Members (titles omitted; in Japanese syllabary order)

(Industry)

Satoru Arima (Sustainability Planning & Management Group, Sustainability Department, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.)
Yosuke Nishiba (Public Affairs and Sustainability department, Market Access & External Affairs Division, Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd. )
Yutaka Mitsutake (Director, Japan Sustainability, AstraZeneca K.K.)

(Government)

Hajime Inoue (Assistant Minister for Global Health and Welfare, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)
Masahiro Kaminota (Director-General, Environmental Health Department, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of the Environment)
Sho Nagata (Director, Heat Illness Policy Office, Policy Planning Division, Environmental Health Department, Ministry of the Environment)

(Academia)

Saori Kashima (Director of the Center for the Planetary Health and Innovation Science (PHIS), Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences Laboratory, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University)
Naoki Kondo (Professor and Chair, Department of Social Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine and School of Public Health, Kyoto University)
Keiko Nakamura (Professor, Department of Global Health Entrepreneurship, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences (Medicine), Tokyo Medical and Dental University)
Keisuke Nansai (Director, Material Cycles Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES))
Masahiro Hashizume (Professor, Department of Global Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo)
Kenji Fuma (Specially Appointed Professor, Co-Creative Organization for Green Society, Shinshu University / CEO, Neural, Inc.)
Hiroya Yamano (Senior Principal Researcher, Biodiversity Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies)
Naoko Yamamoto (Professor, International University of Health and Welfare / Director, Global Medical Cooperation Center)
Chiho Watanabe (Professor and Executive Advisor to the President (Planetary Health), School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University)

(Civil Society)

Taiko Kudo (Visiting Professor, Research Institute for Humanity and Nature)
So Sugawara (Representative Director, Green innovation)
Yukari Nakano (Executive Officer, Japanese Nursing Association)
Makoto Haraguchi (Fellow, MS&AD InterRisk Research & Consulting, Inc. / TNFD dedicated SVP, MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, Inc.)
Hidekazu Hosokawa (Executive Director, Japan Medical Association)
Yusuke Matsuo (Director, Business Task Force, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies)
Akihito Watabe (Health Specialist, Human and Social Development Office, Sectors Group, Asian Development Bank)
Green Practice Japan

[Special Advisor (Youth)]

Asian Medical Students’ Association Japan (AMSA Japan)
Japan Association for Global Health, Students Section (jagh-s)