GREEN（Research Institute for Geo-Resources and Environment）

The Research Institute for Geo-Resources and Environment (GREEN) is the only research unit that has continued since the establishment of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in April 2001. In the 25 years since its establishment, there have been many major events, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Lehman Shock, the Great East Japan Earthquake, the spread of the new coronavirus, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The impact of these events has been enormous, and I think that the situation regarding underground resources and the environment that supports them has changed completely since the establishment of this department. In particular, the securing of “mineral resources and energy” is clearly stated in the “National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology Act” (purpose of the institute), but I fear that our country is quietly but surely entering a turbulent era. When I took up my post in April 2023, I wrote, “The international environment that our country has been assuming is changing at a rapid pace, with the normalization of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the rise of the resource-rich BRICS and the Global South, and the increase in resource and energy transactions in non-dollar currencies. I wrote here. Since then, the BRICS countries, which are rich in natural resources, have continued to expand, and the use of non-dollar currencies is also spreading in Southeast Asia.

Recognizing these trends, I believe that the role of our department will be extremely important in the future. I think that accumulating the results (value) of priceless academic research and technological development and building them up as sincere social implementation measures is important as a preparation for securing stable resources on the domestic and international stage. The word “integrity” does not simply mean maximizing the amount of resources acquired, but rather it is based on the premise that we must consider environmental conservation and regional development in conjunction with development, and I believe that this will be an asset for Japan even in the increasingly severe international environment. On the other hand, there is also a definite trend towards carbon neutrality and the importance of natural capital originating in the G7 countries, and I think that it is necessary to develop a balanced approach that takes into account both resources and the environment.

With a mission that is multifaceted in nature, this division is actively participating in and cooperating with integrated research that makes use of the comprehensive capabilities of AIST, and is promoting a variety of research activities, including research and development related to the evaluation of the geosphere that contributes to industrial use, the development of intellectual infrastructure such as basic maps for evaluating surface soil and hydrological environment maps, and the standardization of testing methods for evaluating and treating soil contamination, etc. As a public research organization, we aim to be the first to identify important social issues in this turbulent era by quickly identifying social trends and changes in Japan and overseas, and as a group of researchers with a variety of skills and intellectual curiosity, we hope to create results that contribute to society.

We look forward to your continued guidance and support for our activities.

Director, Research Institute for Geo-Resources and Environment
Nobukazu Soma