On the 2nd anniversary of the declaration of a state of climate emergency

2023/7/16

Tokyo Public University Corporation
Chairman Ryoichi Yamamoto

　On July 2021, 7, the Corporation became the first national public university in the country to declare a state of climate emergency.
　Two years have already passed since then, and the universities that have declared a climate emergency between last year and this year include the University of Birmingham (UK), the University of Salamanca (Spain), Silliman University (Philippines), and Simon Fraser University (Canada). and Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands). In addition, local governments in Japan, such as Hino City, Tokyo (November 2, 2022) and Maibara City, Shiga Prefecture (March 11, 6), have issued declarations, expressing high interest in the climate emergency and urgent action. Awareness that it is necessary continues to spread both domestically and internationally. According to CEDAMIA (an Australian private organization that collects and publishes data on climate emergency declarations around the world), the number of declarations in Japan is 2023 (total figure for national and local governments as of July 3). Around the world, 28 countries and local governments in 135 countries have made the declaration. Additionally, according to the Ministry of the Environment, as of June 7, 5, 40 local governments in Japan have announced that they will achieve net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2,337. An increasing number of universities have declared carbon neutrality by 2050.

　At first glance, the peak of global climate emergency declarations appears to have passed due in part to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, but as the climate crisis worsens, there is a possibility that they will become active again. In fact, signs and studies are routinely reporting that the Earth's climate system is collapsing. For example, the following observation results have been reported over the past year.

  1. Heat wave outbreak in Europe in July 2022. The likelihood of a heatwave in the UK has increased tenfold due to climate change.
  2. The Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the world. The volume of Arctic sea ice has decreased by 4% over the past 40 years, and 75 will see the world's lowest sea ice extent ever. Summer Arctic sea ice could disappear by around 2023.
  3. It is predicted that heat waves will hit 35 billion people due to global warming, and that the number of climate refugees will reach 2050 million by 2.
  4. Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica could begin to collapse within the next five years.
  5. According to a reassessment of climate tipping points (CTPs, the point at which the collapse of the climate system becomes unstoppable) published in September 2022 by David I. Armstrong McKay et al., the following five countries have already passed the tipping point: It is possible that it did.
    • Greenland ice sheet collapse
    • West Antarctica Ice Sheet Collapse
    • tropical coral reef dying
    • Northern permafrost collapse
    • Labrador Sea convective collapse
  6. In June 2023, public awareness surveys regarding climate tipping points were reported in both Japan and the UK. Approximately 6% of respondents in the UK said they did not know about climate tipping points, compared to approximately 25% in Japan. There is concern about Japan's low awareness of the climate crisis.
  7. The southern part of the jet stream over North America in June 2023 has completely collapsed, causing an unusual heat wave. Frankly, it has been described as being like looking at a Van Gogh painting (Michael E. Mann).
  8. It is predicted that the world's average annual temperature will likely briefly exceed the Paris Agreement's 5°C target within five years.

　Furthermore, the previous highest global average temperature was 2016°C in the summer of 16.92, but this year the highest temperature was set at 7°C on July 3rd and 17.01°C the following day on the 4th. There is no doubt that we live in frightening times. (Famous climate scientist Friederike Otto has said, ``This is a death sentence for people and ecosystems.'')

　As the Earth's climate system begins to collapse, after the declaration was issued, this corporation, with the cooperation of students and all faculty and staff, has vigorously promoted the following initiatives and achieved results. I have come.

  • Creation and publication of carbon neutral promotion plan
  • Preparation and publication of environmental reports
  • Promoting a series of research on carbon neutrality and SDGs at TMU Sustainable Research Promotion Organization
  • Joint symposium held with Kansai University, which declared a state of climate emergency.

　Last year, we also dispatched staff to the University of Oxford in the UK to conduct research on climate change countermeasures and environmental management. COP28 will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this year, and the creation of an education pavilion has been announced at COP28, and the Green Education Partnership Roadmap has already been published as part of the preparations. For this reason, by sending staff again this year, we hope to learn about the latest climate change countermeasures and discussions around the world, as well as gain connections with higher education institutions overseas.

　Although our organization's efforts towards carbon neutrality/SDGs have only just begun, it is believed that the world has about 10 years left until the world reaches a climate tipping point where the collapse of the climate system becomes unstoppable. Masu. In order to fulfill our social responsibility as a public higher education institution, all of our faculty and staff will work together to tackle this crisis and move forward with our efforts.

“Tokyo Public University Corporation Climate Emergency Declaration” (English translation included)