GREEN（Research Institute for Geo-Resources and Environment）

The Research Institute for Geo-Resources and Environment (GREEN) is the only research unit at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) that has continued under the same name since April 2001.

Since the founding GREEN, numerous major events have occurred: the September 11 attacks in the United States, the Lehman Shock, the Great East Japan Earthquake, the global COVID-19 pandemic, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The impact of these events has been profound, and society's perception of underground resources and environmental issues has changed significantly comparing to those around 2001. While securing “mineral resources and energy” is explicitly stated in the “Act on the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology” (under the Purpose of the Institute), it was not considered particularly important at the time, largely due to Japan's prosperity and positive expectations for globalization. However, the world is now entering a period of intense turbulence. At AIST, we have identified “Addressing Energy, Environmental, and Resource Constraints” as one of the key societal challenges to tackle in our 6th Medium-To-Long-Term Plan (starting fiscal year 2025).

Upon assuming my role as Director of GREEN in April 2023, I wrote: “The international environment Japan has taken for granted is changing rapidly—with the normalization of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the rise of resource-rich BRICS nations and the Global South, and the increasing use of non-dollar currencies for resource and energy transactions. Simply having money may no longer be sufficient to secure resources, and we cannot rule out the possibility that Japan's prosperity could be lost.” What has the situation been like since then? The expansion of resource-rich BRICS nations and the increasing trend of using currencies other than the dollar for international settlements continue. I believe we will never return to the situation of a few years ago, when globalization and investment-driven nations were highly praised.

Recognizing this global situation anew, I cannot help but conclude that the role of us GREEN is extremely important, even if it sounds self-congratulatory. Accumulating the invaluable outcomes (value) of academic research and technological development, and building them into sincere social implementation strategies, is also vital as a preparation for securing stable resources both domestically and internationally. Here, “sincere” means not simply aiming to maximize Japan's acquired resource volume, but fundamentally requiring that we consider environmental conservation and regional development accompanying such development together with the people of resource-rich countries overseas, as well as domestically. We believe this will become Japan's strength even within an increasingly challenging international environment. At the same time, there is a definite trend, originating from G7 nations, emphasizing carbon neutrality and the conservation of natural capital. We aim to leverage the strengths of our department, which handles both resources and the environment, to pursue a balanced approach.

As a public research institution, we strive to swiftly grasp domestic and international social conditions and changes, proactively identify critical societal challenges in this era of upheaval, and, as a collective of researchers possessing diverse capabilities and intellectual curiosity, generate outcomes that contribute to society.
We sincerely appreciate your continued guidance, encouragement, and cooperation in our activities.

Director, Research Institute
Nobukazu Soma