The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) was established in March 1998 under an initiative of the Japanese government and with the support of Kanagawa Prefecture based on the “Charter for the Establishment of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies”. The aim of the Institute is to achieve a new paradigm for civilization and conduct innovative policy development and strategic research for environmental measures, reflecting the results of research into political decisions for realising sustainable development both in the Asia-Pacific region and globally. IGES made the transition to a Public Interest Incorporated Foundation in April 2012.
According to the Charter for the Establishment of the IGES, the Institute will tackle fundamental challenges to human society, which exists thanks to the bounty of the global environment, and to redefine the values and value systems of our present societies that have resulted in the global environmental crisis, in order to create new ways of conducting activities and a new paradigm for civilization. Based on the principles of this new paradigm, new social and economic systems will be built, so that a new era of the global environment can begin. IGES also recognises that the realisation of sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region is a vital issue for the international community, as the region is home to more than half of the world's population and is experiencing rapid economic growth. Thus the region plays a critical role in the protection of the global environment.
By recognising these crucial issues, IGES will promote research cooperation with international organisations, governments, local governments, research institutions, business sectors, non-governmental organisations (NGO) and citizens. As well as conducting research, the Institute will share its research results and also host international conferences and study workshops.
Outline
| Name of the Institute | The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies | |
| Acronym | IGES | |
| Inauguration | April 1998 | |
| President | TAKEUCHI Kazuhiko | |
| No. of employees | 220 (As of 30 June 2024) Strategic Research: 168 Projects for Public Interest other than Strategic Research: 26 General Administration: 26 Non-Japanese Staff: 60 (Out of total staff) | |
| Location (Headquarters) | 2108-11, Kamiyamaguchi, Hayama, Kanagawa, 240-0115, Japan | |
History
| January 1995 | Proposal to establish the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (a private consultative body of the Prime Minister) |
| December 1997 | Adoption of the Charter for the Establishment of IGES |
| April 1997 | Establishment of a preparatory organisation of IGES |
| April 1998 | Inauguration of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies / Opening of Tokyo Office |
| September 1999 | Establishment within IGES of the Technical Support Unit (TSU) for the IPCC Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories |
| October 1999 | Establishment of the Kitakyushu Office |
| June 2001 | Establishment of the Kansai Research Centre |
| April 2003 | IGES was granted Special Consultative Status under the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN/ECOSOC) |
| May 2003 | Opening of the IGES Bangkok Project Office |
| April 2004 | IGES takes on the role of Secretariat for Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) |
| July 2006 | Opening of the Beijing Office |
| April 2007 | Japanese Center for International Studies in Ecology (JISE) was merged with IGES |
| April 2010 | Kitakyushu Office renamed the Kitakyushu Urban Centre |
| June 2011 | Opening of the IGES Regional Centre in Bangkok |
| April 2012 | IGES made the transition to a public-interest incorporated foundation |
| March 2015 | Establishment of the IGES Centre Collaborating with UNEP on Environmental Technologies (CCET) at IGES HQ |
| April 2015 | Establishment of Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) TSU for the Regional Assessment for Asia and the Pacific (TSU-AP) |
| September 2015 | Establishment of the UNFCCC-IGES Regional Collaboration Centre (RCC) in IGES Regional Centre in Bangkok |
| July 2017 | Tokyo Office renamed the Tokyo Sustainability Forum |
| February 2019 | Establishment of IPBES TSU for the assessment of invasive alien species (IAS) |
| March 2024 | Establishment of TSU for the IPBES Task Force on Scenarios and Models of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services |
Organisational Structure
List of Board members and Auditors (in alphabetical order, as of November 2024)
Trustees
| Prof. Xuemei Bai | Distinguished Professor, Urban Environment at Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University |
| Dr. Matthew Michael McCandless | Interim VP Operations and Business Transformation, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) |
| Prof. MIMURA Nobuo | Specially Appointed Professor, Global and Local Environment Co-creation Institute(GLEC), Ibaraki University |
| Dr. Wijarn Simachaya | President, Thai Environment Institute (TEI) |
| Mr. SUZUKI Masaki | Director, Canon Inc. |
| Dr. Soumya Swaminathan | Chairperson, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation |
| Prof. TAKAMURA Yukari | Professor, Institute for Future Initiatives (IFI), The University of Tokyo |
Directors
| Prof. TAKEUCHI Kazuhiko | President, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies; Project Professor, Institute for Future Initiatives (IFI), The University of Tokyo |
| Mr. ONO Hiroshi | Executive Director, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies |
| Prof. FUJITA Kaori | Senior editor, Nikkei ESG, Nikkei BP Professor, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Green Goals Initiative, Tohoku University |
| Mr. NISHIZAWA Keiji | Executive Advisor, Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. |
| Prof. OTSUKA Tadashi | Professor, Law School and Faculty of Law, Waseda University |
| Prof. Dr. Miranda A. Schreurs | Professor, Chair of Environmental and Climate Policy, Bavarian School of Public Policy, Technical University of Munich |
Auditors
| Mr. HASEGAWA Ken | Lawyer |
| Mr. YASUDA Hiroyuki | Certified public accountant |