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  • OSINTech Wins UN "The World Summit Award" in the Environment and Green Energy Category for the First Time in Japan

    The web service RuleWatcher*1 provided by OSINTech Inc. (Head office: Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture; President: Masato Oda) was the only digital solution from Japan to be awarded as an outstanding digital solution at The World Summit Award Global Congress 2024*2 held in Chile (Los Lagos region) on 17 April 2024. The World Summit Award has been held annually since 2003 by the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), which was resolved by the United Nations General Assembly in 2001, to establish a joint understanding of the information society and to support initiatives in various regions to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The awards are organized in the following 8 categories, and we are the first Japanese recipient in the Environment and Green Energy category, and the first Japanese recipient overall in 5 years since the 2018 awards. Government and Public Involvement Health and Well-being Learning and Education Environment and Green Energy Inclusion and Empowerment Culture and Tourism Business & Commerce Smart Payments and Urbanization Young Innovators (for young social entrepreneurs under 26 years old) This year's event was held in the Los Lagos region of Chile, also known as Patagonia, where participants from around the world shared useful information and workshops in front of a precious and rich natural environment threatened by climate change. Among the presentations, the "RuleWatcher" presented by OSINTech, which collects official announcements from governments and international organizations and organizes and visualizes them in 15 themes related to sustainability, attracted a lot of attention. “It is amazing that such a solution has emerged from Japan.”  “I think RuleWatcher should be introduced to the field of school education.” In the "Global Action Talks" program, in which participants presented enlightening ideas that would have an impact on the world, our CEO, Masato Oda, was selected to give a speech on "TANKYU" in the Japanese language. He spoke about the importance for everyone of "TANKYU," an attitude of pursuing curiosity and truth with deep joy at the same time, as one solution to the problems of today, where multiple issues are intertwined. This idea was widely introduced to the world in multiple languages via a live broadcast. OSINTech will continue to contribute to a sustainable society through its "RuleWatcher" solution, "TANKYU" concept, and intelligence management/education, without being bound by existing frameworks. *1 About RuleWatcher RuleWatcher is a SaaS-type web service that automatically collects policy-related information released daily from over 1,400 government and international organizations, and organizes and visualizes it into 15 sustainability-related themes. It is widely used by corporate planning departments, sustainability promotion departments, research institutions, and government agencies. https://www.osintech.net *2 About The World Summit Award The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is an award given to IT projects that have a positive impact on modern society, and is organized within the framework of the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), which was founded on the basis of resolution 56/183 of the United Nations General Assembly in 2001. https://wsa-global.org/ Chie Takahashi chie@osintech.net OSINTech Inc.

  • 【Award】Our platform RuleWatcher has received the World Summit Award 2023

    Our platform RuleWatcher has received the World Summit Award 2023 in the Environment and Green Energy category for its RuleWatcher. The WSA is a project of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), the world's largest ICT (Information and Communication Technology) event sponsored by the United Nations. Each year, digital innovations with high social impact are selected and awarded with this prize. This year, our RuleWatcher was selected as one of the 40 best digital solutions out of 466 nominations from 88 countries around the world. RuleWatcher is the only company in Japan to receive this award. The WSA is designed to introduce the world's best practice models of how ICT is impacting society, and RuleWatcher is also introduced on the WSA website as follows Using AI, RuleWatcher continuously retrieves/crawls articles related to the environmental and social issues it targets from over 1,300 information sources selected manually. These articles are accumulated in a database, categorized, and then machine-translated before being posted on a single-language web page. As a result, RuleWatcher lets all stakeholders read international information (law drafts, minutes, press releases, research journals, policy recommendations, etc.) from the primary sources (of international organizations, national assemblies, governments, supreme courts, research Institutes, NGOs, etc.) on articles pages, examine global trends on visualized analysis pages and discuss on them in community pages. They are aware of international trends, thus they can react nationally and internationally at the right time. As the prestigious award-winning startup, we will be attending the WSA International Conference 2024 scheduled for April 14-17, 2024 in Patagonia, Chile, to make a presentation on RuleWatcher. We would like to thank everyone for their support in helping us win this award and we look forward to continuing to provide solutions for the world, We will continue to provide solutions for the benefit of the world.

  • 【Nominated!】RuleWatcher is nominated to UN-agenda-based World Summit Awards!!

    The World Summit Awards (WSA), which are administered by the International Center for New Media (ICNM), a non-profit organization based in Austria, in accordance with the United Nations Framework for Action, nominated our product RuleWatcher as an excellent ICT project with social impact in the environment and green energy category. The 136 projects from 60 countries will then go through further review and will have the opportunity to present their projects at a conference in Chile in April.

  • Book Now!Circular Innovation b/w SCAND and JP~Cross-sectional Consortium for CE Business Promotion

    OSINTech Inc. (CEO Masato ODA, Kobe City, JAPAN) collaborates with Swedish independent think tank, "Intelligence Watch" through its research and education institution, "Tankyu Intelligence Center", and promotes intellectual and economic interaction with Scandinavian region, pursuing sustainability utilizing Nordic design and Japanese technology. Today, we are pleased and honored to announce that we will host a hybrid conference as the part of the initiative, in line with the visit of business-academia-government group from Scandinavia to Japan. Anyone from enterprises, academia, government is welcome, either you are based in Scandinavia or in Japan! Together, we expect to make this opportunity fruitful and will have further partnership between two regions. ◆Recommended for you Those who are in charge of planning / global branch, interested in circular economy Those who are interested in doing business between Scandinavia - Japan Those who are interested in doing co-research between Scandinavia - Japan OUTLINE Date|October 16th, Mon., 2023, 4pm-6pm(UTC+9) *Reception 6:30pm- 9am-11am(UTC+1) Location|Kobe Shushinkan Hall / zoom (Physical Address : 1-8-17 Mikagetsukamachi, Higashinada Ward, Kobe, Hyogo, JAPAN) Seat|80 people on site / 100 people in zoom Language|English and Japanese Fee|Free of charge(Reception : 8000 yen) PROGRAM (UTC+9 / UTC+1) 3:30 pm / 8:30 am OPEN 4:00 pm / 9:00 am Event Start Introduction of knowledge and practices Promised CE practices in Japan Horizon Europe and unique city planning of Malmö Discussion from the points introduced- strength of both regions, differences and commonalities in design, tech and service 6:00 pm / 11:00 am Closing 6:30 - 8:30 pm Reception(Optional / Extra Charge) Host OSINTech Inc. Tankyu Intelligence Center Co-host Intelligence Watch, Circular Economy Multi Value Circulation In Collaboration with Hyogo prefecture, Kobe city, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO), Kobe Shushinkan, Kobe City Industrial Promotion Foundation, Hyogo International Association BOOKING FORM About the VENUE Kobe Shushinkan is the first sake brewery to receive the "THE DRINKS BUSINESS GREEN AWARDS," an international environmental award, in 2020, so was selected as a suitable venue for this event on the theme of sustainability. The reception will be held at Sakabayashi, a Japanese-style restaurant located on the same premises, where guests will enjoy seasonal cuisine and sakes such as Fukuju Junmai Ginjo, which is served at official Nobel Prize events. CONTACT US conference@osintech.net(Oda, Takahashi) Broacher can be downloaded from below.

  • 【Certified】RuleWatcher is certified as IRCAI Global Top 100 AI Project

    The International Research Center for AI (IRCAI), established under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), has been selecting outstanding AI application projects worldwide since 2021. This selection is, In response to the widespread and cross-sectoral increase in the use of AI in the field of sustainability, The selection is based on whether the projects have been developed with AI ethics in mind, and whether the solutions are practical for achieving the SDGs. Collaboration among projects and open source sharing are also considered, It also serves as a visualization and mapping of solutions to tackle environmental and social issues on an international scale. RuleWatcher, powered by OSINTech Inc., is the only one in Japan to be recognized as an IRCAI Global Top 100 (Excellent). We will continue to provide and develop our services while deepening horizontal collaboration across fields and sectors. About IRCAI Global Top 100

  • "Nordic Silicon Valley Beckons Japan" Swedish Think Tank and OSINTech Announce Policy Proposal

    With Intelligence Watch, We launch a Joint "Social Think Tank" Using Technology to Address Transnational Issues OSINTech Inc. March 31, 2023 OSINTech Inc.(Kobe, Hyogo, Japan, CEO: Masato Oda) and Intelligence Watch (Malmö, Sweden, Chief and founder: Anders Olshov), a think tank, have formed a business alliance to jointly make policy recommendations to both countries on the theme of sustainability. We had an event for Japanese press on the 28th of March, 2023. There will be a media event for Nordic and European press on the 26th of April, 2023. Contact us for the detail: media@osintech.net OSINTech Inc., a provider of "RuleWatcher," a cloud service that enables users to track international rule trends, has formed a business alliance with Swedish think tank, Intelligence Watch. Intelligence Watch is an independent (non-profit organization) think tank in Sweden that has made numerous policy recommendations on sustainability. It is known for its unique presentation style, "open to criticism and open to making it public". Intelligence Watch, which has the open and democratic publication style of reports, which is really Swedish(the fourth largest democracy index in the world in 2022) in a way, published a report in 2019, and that was used as the basis for its own Japan House project to promote cultural and business exchange with Japan in the Skåne region of southern Sweden. Currently, the Japan House Project is in the process of planning and conducting site visits to deepen relations with Japan in order to realize this goal. Intelligence Watch has now published a follow-up report, "Scandinavia's Sustainable Tech Banana beckons Japan". Here, we unpack the cultural and geopolitical affinities between Scandinavia and Japan, and discuss the business potential that can be realized between Japan and the Nordic city cluster selected by the EU as one of its "100 Climate Neutral Cities. Meanwhile, Tankyu Intelligence Center, an education and research brand launched last year by OSINTech Inc., has released a policy recommendation report that serves as a response to the call from the Nordics to Japan. In "Spiraling Development with Japan - Manufacturing Technology Becomes Remanufacturing Technology in the Nordic Countries," written using the intelligence platform RuleWatcher, it is pointed out that the contribution to the circular economy in the Nordic countries can be made by utilizing Japan's fundamental ability to draw out the value cycle of manufactured goods. Both policy recommendation reports can be downloaded from https://tankyu-intelligence.org/research (In Japanese) English ver. will be published on the same day as the press event holds, April 26th, 2023. These reports are a pair of policy recommendations that promote collaboration among Nordic cities, which are also model cities for climate neutrality, to utilize Japanese technology, and Japan can also learn social innovation from the Nordic countries. These reports are designed to be read by the general public, and we welcome comments and suggestions, We hope that these reports, aiming at the ideal shape of democracy by Intelligence Watch and including tips that OSINTech intends as a social think tank, will serve as a catalyst for a model in which both regions lead the way in sustainability in a global scope. About Intelligence Watch Politically and religiously independent, non-profit and independent think tank for sustainable development with a focus on environmental, economic and social issues, founded in Sweden in December 2015 as a non-profit organization and public-private partnership. It has a reputation for dissemination (Ways to convey information to a large public) in writing a report, and for the publication of criticism for its own reports. URL: https://en.intelligencewatch.org Headquarters: Malmö, Sweden Chief and founder: Anders Olshov About OSINTech Inc. The company invents and operates RuleWatcher, a UNESCO-accredited cloud service for understanding international trends. From its research and education division, Tankyu Intelligence Center, the company offers Tankyu Intelligence Program, in which people can learn intelligence, consensus-building skills on international trends and take action from the intrinsic motivation of themselves. The Center has also launched a social think tank with researchers who have been trained by the Center. URL: https://www.osintech.net/en Head office: Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture CEO: ODA Masato

  • Meet the B! ~B-Corp Event Report~

    A participatory fair "Meet the B!" was held in Shibuya, Tokyo, on March 11, 2023, bringing together companies in Japan that have obtained the B Corp ™️ certification. As is typical of B Corp, the event was initiated and executed entirely by "volunteers. The event, in which each company contributed ideas, labor, materials, and funds, was covered by many media outlets, and the 80-person capacity venue had to be rescheduled several times due to the large number of applications. B Corp's movement of "Let's make a good company our standard" is steadily spreading in Japan. 【The article by inquire】(Japanese) https://inquire.jp/2023/03/17/meet-the-b/ 【Talk Session Archived Videos】(Partially English) https://youtu.be/-R0bVx0Gq0A 【Mr. Sugawara(from Public Good)'s blog, planner and manager of the event】(Japanese) https://note.com/publicgood/n/nbd566d1f1a26

  • ESG OSINT User Interview: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Catching Regulatory Trends and Creating Good Product

    OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) refers to a method of gathering necessary information from information that is publicly available and accessible to all. OSINT is being used not only in the military and security fields, but also in the business field, as companies are analyzing supply chains based on financial and public relations data. Through RuleWatcher, OSINTech is promoting the use of OSINT in ESG fields such as environment, society, and governance. We spoke with Kosuke Yamakawa and Tomiko Takahashi of Ricoh Company, Ltd. Kosuke Yamakawa Belonging to the copier/printer development department, he was in charge of cost planning for about 12 years. After working in purchasing in Thailand, he has been in charge of purchasing for new businesses since his return to Japan. Currently in charge of inkjet printing batteries and magnetoencephalography(MEG) system/spinal magnetometer themes. Tomiko Takahashi Belonging to the R&D department and is in charge of system control development for copier mechanism control and measuring equipment, and development of environmental impact assessment technology. Currently is in charge of environmental aspects such as environmental impact assessment and strategies for new businesses. Ricoh does business in line with European standard Oda:Your company started exports to Europe earlier than other companies. Therefore, I assume you have been dealt with a high environmental standard which is not required in Japan. Mr. Yamakawa:Yes. For instance, we started introducing Life Cycle Assessment(LCA) much earlier. We have a measurement to wholly evaluate the process from making the raw materials to throwing them away, not just producing the products themselves and using them. Oda:It is the sphere Ms. Takahashi is in charge. There is few company that make a position for LCA as far as I know, and I feel it while listening to so many people in enterprises. I think the way you perceive environment and actions you take become the brand and culture of Ricoh, which has been fostered by the high standard required and by dealing with it responsibly. More environmentally friendly products through LCA Ms. Takahashi:You are right. I am mainly responsible for the means to calculate the environmental cost such as LCA and so on in environmental sector. It is used to calculate the environmental impact of our products, including the parts and raw materials that make up the products, and to reduce and improve the impact during actual manufacturing. Compared to conventional products, we are working to improve our products to make them more environmentally friendly. Oda:Mr. Yamakawa, you are in charge of purchasing sector within new business projects. Mr. Yamakawa:Yes, I am. We are working on new projects in several themes, and from the perspective of environmental regulations, we are gathering information and trends related to domestic and international regulations. Depending on the theme, some of our products are to be sold domestically and some are to be developed overseas. We hope to grasp domestic and overseas information in advance so that we can use it as material for considering whether we can proceed with development as is or whether we need to change materials depending on the region in which the product is to be sold. Oda: Regulations can differ greatly between Japan and other countries, so we need to be especially careful when expanding overseas. Mr. Yamakawa: Yes, the standards for environmental regulations differ greatly between Europe and the United States, and Japan. I used to be involved in purchasing parts for copiers, but since we were selling them all over the world, we had to select parts that would meet various environmental standards. On the other hand, a new business may start with domestic sales and then consider overseas sales. In such cases, we must take care of whether the specifications are acceptable as they are or whether they need to be changed. There are many things to consider, such as whether the parts are OK and whether the suppliers should be the same. In addition, regulations change on a daily basis, so it is essential to gather information so that we can respond to them as much as possible. Catch up with regulation trends updated every day Oda:It is very important to gain the information on Europe and the States in order to know the various regulations, not only the domestic information. Ms. Takahashi: Both are important. It is easy to find domestic information, but when it comes to overseas information, it is very difficult to search through the database, so I use RuleWatcher. I used RuleWatcher to find out what kind of regulations and trends are related to PLAiR, a foam sheet made from biodegradable PLA (polylactic acid) and other materials, and how it can contribute to in a global perspective. Reference:RICOH - Foamed PLA sheet "PLAiR" Ms. Takahashi: PLAiR is almost 100% plant-derived, but even so, there is room for thought. For example, the edible/non-edible trend: the raw material for PLAiR is starch/sugar derived from feed corn, but depending on how we view the food system, we may need to consider the raw material in the future. Since "Food System" category was just added to RuleWatcher, I have set up an alert email to check it and see what information is relevant. Reference:PLAiR – A New Material Made from Plants and Air | Ricoh Company, Ltd. Oda:As you specify, food system is one of the spheres we must pay attention to from now on. Also, I feel that even to make one product, the spheres are cross-sectional and you have to see climate change and food system, for example. Being in the front line, latest information is constantly necessary Ms. Takahashi: It is good to see early on that new regulations are going to be like this. For example, the same is true for edible and inedible as I mentioned earlier. At first, materials like PLAiR are created because carbon neutral is good for the environment, and then a new discussion about edible or inedible is born. Knowing what regulatory trends are likely to emerge next will give us an idea of what we need to check out outside of the areas we have been looking at. Oda: That is an interesting story. From your talk, I understand that when you try to make a new product, you need to make it not only for convenience, such as "good performance" or "usefulness," but also in accordance with the rules set by each country, right? I imagine that the level of difficulty has increased considerably. Mr. Yamakawa: Yes, that's right. In the case of copiers, we already have what we have accumulated over several decades, and we only need to consider how to respond to new regulations, but for new businesses, we are trying to respond in line with the product characteristics of new businesses based on what we have developed in copiers. Oda:You are making the rules on "how to purchase", Mr. Yamakawa:Yes. In the case of copiers, we already have a standard for selecting suppliers, but we are creating a separate standard for new businesses. We are planning to quickly incorporate information on overseas regulations, compile information on what is to be adhered to as a new business and what needs to be added, and build a solid selection standard. Oda:Thank you very much, Mr. Yamakawa and Ms. Takahashi. Join the RuleWatcher community! RuleWatcher® is designed as a place where people who want to solve environmental and social issues can bring together their different knowledge based on primary information and seek solutions so that one solution does not lead to another problem. We invite you to join this new community of diverse people from all over the world who come together around global issues.

  • Climate Refugee Welfare Community Expert Meeting, Spin-off Conversation

    (Edited and directed by Kazue Oda, OSINTech Inc., Translated by Chie Takahashi, OSINTech Inc.) Osamu Arakaki Professor at International Christian University. He has been involved in international law and refugee issues for many years. Chairperson of the "Expert Group on Adaptation and International Cooperation Community Promotion Work for the Welfare of Climate Refugees in Industry-Government-Academia Collaboration" led by the Ministry of the Environment of Japan. Masamichi Kobayashi First year graduate student at Kansai University. Currently researching disaster prevention and mitigation, and the relationship between climate change and typhoons. He is actively involved in citizen activities related to climate change. Responsible for gathering information on climate change adaptation at OSINTech Inc. How could we consider the issue as ours? Mr. Kobayashi:I am currently studying disaster prevention in graduate school. At OSINTech, I am using that to work on the rule trends for Climate Change Adaptation (note: one of the datasets in RuleWatcher, a primary information collection and analysis tool). One of the issues I would like to raise as one of the future generations is how to make it personal for people to think about climate refugees. Many people see it as their own business when it comes to weather disasters, but not when it comes to refugees. There is a primary source in RuleWatcher about a flood in Nigeria. It says that there were nearly 40,000 internally displaced people there. What will be discussed at COP27 this month (Nov 2022) is the need to invest now in climate change emergency preparedness, and Nigeria's problem is a case where this is exactly what is manifesting itself. Unlike climate change mitigation, the demand for adaptation varies from site to site. In this respect, I believe that Japan has knowledge that can be used in developing countries in the field of disaster reduction. How should we, Japan, view climate refugees? For the future generation Mr. Arakaki:There were some points to discuss. Every one of them is important, but let us start with the generations. In your generation, there are many people who are seriously concerned with issues such as climate change. Our generation has the responsibility. I have seen the high growth and bubble. What was the payoff of it? Do we force the debt to the next generation? Whether we are a retreating generation or unaware of our former actions, this generation has a responsibility to reflect on what has been done. I also believe that we are in a position where we must think together. The younger generation has potential, is flexible in their thinking, and has views, information, and technology that we do not have at all. Therefore, what we should work on is intergenerational cooperation. Considering the future generations yet to be born, it can be said that both of our generations have a shared responsibility. It is necessary for the generations that exist today to cooperate with each other toward the future. Is it really a matter that happens far away? Mr. Arakaki:The next point I would like to discuss is the expression "happening far, far away". This is also true for poverty issues, refugees, and forced displacement, with which I have been involved for a long time. The phrase "on the other side of the earth" is often used to describe these issues. However, are the problems in Nigeria really that far away from Japan? Japan used to be an accepting country for refugees, but if we look at the micro level, we can see that even within Japan, people are losing their homes. This is similar to the problem of infectious diseases; in the 1970s, the expression "the era of infectious diseases is over" appeared, partly because smallpox was eradicated through the cooperation of the WHO and the U.S.-Soviet Union, but then HIV/AIDS started. And then again zoonotic diseases, like this COVID-19. It could not be defended against even in developed countries. Thus, it became apparent that there is no south or north to the challenge of infectious diseases. In this way, we recognized in a negative phase that we, and the planet, are inseparable. Even people do not cross the border, they are forced to leave their homes. Mr. Arakaki:The argument in the 1980s and early 1990s was that if climate change became too severe, large numbers of people from the South would flood across the border into the North. The reality, however, is that this is not the case, and the number of internally displaced persons who do not cross the border is overwhelming. In the U.S., the intervention of climate change as a factor in shifting residence is becoming more pronounced. In Japan, too, extreme weather events are probably causing more and more people to leave their homes for weeks or months at a time. In other words, even these people are subject to climate-forced migration. This is already happening in Japan, and it is a universal problem. Recognition and gap Mr. Kobayashi:My specialty is disaster prevention and mitigation, and in Japan, earthquakes tend to be the focus of attention, but in recent years, we are rapidly seeing cases of extensive damage caused by typhoons, heavy rains, windstorms, and landslides. I believe that we have come to a point where we have no choice but to acknowledge the forced displacement caused by such weather. When it comes to climate change, the images shown on TV are the usual images of collapsing icebergs in the Arctic and Antarctic, but I think that showing typhoon damage would be more important for Japanese people to understand the importance of the issue. How can we make various issues as our own business that are currently separate from us? I think that these perceptions are divided between generations, but same among young people. I have been working on climate change activities for three years now, and young people who engage in such activities are by no means the majority. There is still a debate over whether climate change is anthropogenic or not. There is also a disconnect between different ways of thinking. As a way to overcome these divisions, I have been working on slogans and ways of communicating. In the climate displacement, there is a great deal of hope for the power of "community", but what are your thoughts on how to create a community that can overcome divisions? Mr. Arakaki:It's an important yet difficult question. I'm not even sure if we can lump them together as a generation. Even within the same generation, there are differences in perception and temperature. But having said that, there are also differences in solutions by each generational unit. For example, we cannot put out keywords and flags on social networking services for people in their 80s and 90s. There are generational differences in communication methods, while in essence, we all have common problems. It's important to look for and recognize commonalities among each other. As for bridging the perception gap between generations and individuals, we still have to continue tirelessly. For example, we may not be able to prove "absolutely" the anthropogenic origin of climate change, but what will happen if we continue to push forward? We have to make a decision now before the situation becomes irreversible. We must recognize the crisis before waiting for absolute proof. Failure to do so will result in serious problems. This is where a common understanding is required, and communication is necessary. The method of communication will differ greatly depending on the cluster to which each person belongs, so we need to be creative in this regard. Welfare as a common sense Another important point is the perspective on Welfare, which is a key word in the "Expert Group on Adaptive International Cooperation Community Promotion Work in Collaboration with Industry, Government and Academia to Contribute to the Welfare of Climate Refugees". What kind of welfare is being damaged differs region to region. Desert areas, forest areas, areas bordering the sea, and urban cities. The concept and scope of welfare that each person has are also different. It is thus difficult to make a uniform discussion in this sphere. With the situation as such, we might say that the concept of "welfare" includes welfare, education, health, and labor. In the modern age, I think that many people are aware of the need to enjoy these things as human beings to some extent. There are regional differences, however, while neither the developed countries nor the developing countries have a clear answer as to how to deal with this situation. I believe that it is precisely when no one has an answer that something new can be created. Both parties should join to create it in order to overcome the whole situation. Rural and urban areas are analogous to developed and developing countries Mr. Kobayashi:I agree that it is indeed important to create something new. Looking at the situation in the North and South, I think that we can see a microcosm of this in Japan. For example, in the case of mega-solar and wind power, the urban and outside capital come in, and the local community is not enriched. The local people are being left out of the loop. I think it is important for both parties to find a way to create an answer to prevent this from happening. Regarding the North-South problem, it appears that the developed countries are "giving" to the developing countries, but I believe that behind this is a problem that is not being properly communicated. For example, when the earthquake and tsunami hit Sumatra, Japan and other countries went to the region to provide assistance. When the researchers surveyed the victims, it turned out that they regarded the tsunami disaster itself as if it were a "blessing in disguise". Researchers found that they maintained their mentality by attributing the disaster to "divine punishment," rather than to a lack of scientific response. In such a case, it is not good communication if you see the other party as a mere "target," as if you are imposing the idea in developed countries that the disaster was caused by a lack of countermeasures. I believe this is true not only for disaster relief, but also for climate-forced migration. Mr. Arakaki:This is another important argument. It is an issue not only in climate change, but in international cooperation in general. What is international cooperation for? Ostensibly, it may be said to be for the development of developing countries or for humanitarian purposes, but from the perspective of realism, it may rather be in the national interest of the donor. For example, during the Cold War, the purpose of providing humanitarian and development assistance was to prevent the target countries from becoming communist. Sometimes beautiful aid ends up being idealistic. When I talk about international aid from the perspective of international politics and history, some first-year college students get upset. Voice for Climate Justice from the developing countries Mr. Arakaki:On the other hand, there is a remarkable phenomenon of developing countries voluntarily speaking out. There is a term called "Climate Justice". Climate justice is the assertion that "you, the developed countries, are the ones who caused the problem in the first place". From the standpoint of climate justice, support for developing countries is not charity. Rather, it is an obligation. The important thing is first of all for the developed countries to admit their wrongdoing. After admitting it, if it is difficult to restore the situation to its original state, compensation must be provided. So forced internal displacement can also be discussed in that context. The governments of the countries concerned are directly responsible for the internally displaced persons. However, it may be climate change that has pushed such governments into such a situation. Moreover, the main responsibility may lie on the side of developed countries. Mr. Kobayashi:As I listen to you, I think the important point is to discuss these crucial subjects without missing any of it. I think one of the solutions is to have that discussion within this community. So, what kind of people should be in this community, what kind of topics and initiatives should there be? What do you think is ideal? The shape of the ideal community Mr. Arakaki:From here is just my personal opinion, but I think that when we talk about communities in the "Expert Group on Adaptation and International Cooperation Community Promotion Work in Collaboration with Industry and Academia for the Welfare of Climate Refugees," there are diverse ways to talk about them. It would be ideal if we could analyze climate forced migration from various groups and academic disciplines. However, this conference has only been in motion for a few months, in July of this year, and the number of committee members is limited. Of course, the participating committee members are all very competent people. Even so, everyone's area of expertise is limited. However, the obvious target audience for the conference is those who are suffering in the midst of climate-forced migration. In other words, those whose "Welfare" is being problematic, as the name of the conference implies. Welfare refers to social values such as health, well‐being, education, and labor. People whose welfare is affected by their inability to be in a place, or by being in a place that puts them in danger. Our conference now could be described as an EPISTEMIC COMMUNITY (note: a community of shared perceptions) of professionals. This epistemic community with shared underlying beliefs and policy orientation, however, would ideally rather evolve out of it in the future. I believe that at some stage in the near future, the parties who are subject to forced displacement themselves should participate in this conference. We are now in the stage of preparing the foundation for that. While we are building that foundation, it would be desirable to have more and more young people like Mr. Kobayashi, people from different backgrounds, a wide range of researchers and practitioners, etc., come into this conference. Like people who have something to say, "I want to do this! and people who have "started to do this" will gather together. I personally hope that the conference will be substantiated in such a way that it will become such a place. "Environmental lense" to connect the single issues Mr. Kobayashi:I would like to ask you about your past activities and how your perception differs from those of others around you. In my case, I became interested in environmental issues when I learned about pollution in elementary school. At that time, the first thing I learned about were the four major pollution problems in Japan, and although it was described as a historical event that was solved already, environmental issues such as climate change have moved to a new phase and left a strong impression on me. However, not many of my classmates, even though they received the same kind of education as I did, perceived the situation in the same way. They did not have the same perceptions as I did, and I have had a hard time spreading empathy among my generation. Mr. Arakaki:I specialize in international law, with minors in international politics and peace studies. While primarily researching forced migration, the issues of the environment and climate change overlapped. That was about 15 years ago, and at that time these issues were mainly discussed outside of Japan. In the process, I was able to network with researchers and practitioners abroad. "Environmental lens," including climate change, has become more comprehensive. Even though we see various phenomena in a discrete way, the environmental lens is essential to connect them. For example, even if we look at a single infectious disease, the focus of attention in prevention is on the maintenance, protection, and preservation of ecosystems. These are issues such as how to maintain social distance between humans and animals, and how to prevent zoonotic diseases. It is necessary to connect these issues that have been disparate in dots with lines and link them together to visualize them in a three-dimensional way. We should have known this by now, but humans are fools and do not seriously tackle such issues until a crisis like the COVID-19 comes along. Since 2020, people around the world have taken identical actions, as seen in the self-restraint and staying home, right? Few times on our planet have we had so much common action at the same time. Ironically, I feel that it was only after the crisis that we indeed united. This was remarkable. I believe that humanity can learn from these experiences, not giving up. It is too late to do so after the big blow that there is no way back. Diversity holds a key Mr. Kobayashi:I think that the climate issue is a multi-issue and the way we perceive it is important. The correct way to look at it is probably not that various issues are piled up, but that they appear to overlap when viewed through the lens of "the climate issue". The difference in the way we perceive these issues comes from the value we hold, such as the way we live. How do we create or raise a common awareness of issues while looking through these different lenses? Until now, my opinion from a position of organizing youth organizations has been that we want large organizations to act. For example, we would ask politicians to do so. However, I am beginning to feel that thinking in this way is leaving the problem to others. How can people with different lenses come to a common understanding? Mr. Arakaki:Individual differences are rather beneficial and valuable. However, there are commonalities and universals hidden in diversity, so we must be aware of them. Take life, for example. In every culture and religion, life has been a central issue. Even if there are differences in the way climate change is viewed and its causes are manifested, I think it is important to have a common awareness of its impact on life and livelihood. We should have different ways of thinking. I think it is important to have commonality and universality in spite of diversity. Can voluntarism work out? Editor:I was very impressed with the way this organization was presented by the Ministry of Environment at the beginning of the first meeting of the Expert Meeting. This organization is "not a council of experts, it is a community. The community has no responsibilities or obligations. There is no employment relationship. The reward is admiration from others.", which in other words is that is voluntary. Though now the population is over 8 billion, the struggle for resources has begun, and even land that can withstand climate change will be fought over more and more in the future. With such a struggle for what little we have, I simply wonder how we are going to nurture a voluntary community. On the other hand, however, we also have the experience of being driven to help others, with an awareness of what we can do now in response to this crisis, both at the time of the Hanshin-Awaji and Tohoku earthquakes. What is your outlook on the spirit of human voluntarism? Mr. Arakaki:Do you know who won the Nobel Peace Prize 100 years ago? Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian explorer. He is best known as an Arctic explorer, but he was also the first High Commissioner for Refugees. During his time as High Commissioner, he was criticized by diplomats and others as an idealist who only cared about charity and did not know anything about realpolitik. He responded to his critics by saying, "Charity is the realpolitik". "Benevolence is realpolitik". At the root of his thought was the spirit of solidarity. 100 years ago, just after the end of World War I, the world was in pieces. He said that if the world were to fall apart, war would break out again, and that if each country pursued its own interests alone, the world would be in danger of falling into that crisis. In short, we should not help refugees because we feel sorry for them. If we become a society that excludes such people and leaves them alone, the whole society will eventually break down, and we will lose our footing. In such a society, peace and security will not last. That is why Nansen said, "Charity is realpolitik". Not mere pity for the poor. He said that the spirit of solidarity will eventually lead us to ourselves and to the future. Editor:It is a similar view with what you pointed out while ago that what's happening in Nigeria is not far from Japan. I wonder if we are running out of time, but would you like to ask something to Mr. Kobayashi, Mr. Arakaki? Subcommittee and task force Mr. Arakaki:It is just my personal opinion, but if a subcommittee or task force is formed in the future, I would like people like you to join it and do the actual work. If such a framework were to be formed, how would you like to work? Mr. Kobayashi:Many people who are interested in social issues have one thing in common: they are hungry for the "opportunity". Therefore, I would be very happy if we could join a subcommittee or task force. When we try to do something, our reach is only one hand's length away. Thus, it is very helpful to have a hand there to reach out and I believe we can move forward by answering it. Whenever I have such an opportunity, I would like to do it vigorously. In my case, disaster prevention and mitigation are an area of strong interest, so I can use my strength there. Also, we have been working on our own in the climate movement area, but I think a task force would allow us to prioritize our efforts with advice, while keeping our passion intact. Mr. Kobayashi:Thank you very much for today's conversation.

  • A survey of global waste plastic policy trends using RuleWatcher was reported at a side event hosted

    Research using RuleWatcher, a tool for visualizing environmental and human rights rule trends operated by OSINTech Inc. (Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture; President: Masato Oda), was reported at an international environmental conference. Research by Professor Hajime Sasaki, Faculty of Economics, Chuo University, on the monitoring of waste plastic policy trends for reduction policy was reported at the side event "Plastic-Free Rivers for Resilient Riverine Communities" hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) at the 16th Asia Pacific Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production. Our RuleWatcher is being used to efficiently and timely collect information on national regulations related to single-use plastics, which is important for this research. This report shows that, as of November 16, 2022, AI has enabled the collection of more than 23,000 government documents related to microplastics from 1,018 government agencies around the world. (Chuo University Faculty of Economics Website) This report is a part of the results of "Future Design Research for Sustainable Plastic Utilization Society" funded by the Grant-in-Aid for Environmental Research (S-19-2(2)) and "Establishment of a Research Base for Marine Plastic Pollution in Southeast Asian Seas (JPMJSA1901)" funded by SATREPS, and was conducted as an industry-academia joint research project with our company and Mitsubishi UFJ Research & Consulting Co. For contact: OSINTech Inc. Public Relations Kazue Oda hello@osintech.net

  • RuleWatcher is exhibited at the COP27 Virtual Japan Pavilion

    OSINTech (Kobe, Hyogo, Japan, CEO: Masato Oda) will exhibit at the COP27 Virtual Japan Pavilion organized by the Ministry of the Environment of Japan. In preparation for the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Ministry of the Environment has launched the COP27 Japan Pavilion website, which provides information on Japan's initiatives and environmental technologies to be presented at the "Japan Pavilion" in the COP27 venue and on the seminars to be held. The pavilion includes a physical exhibit in Egypt as well as an online virtual exhibit. following its COP26 exhibit in 2021, OSINTech is exhibiting a web tool that automatically collects and visualizes public primary environmental and human rights information, including climate change mitigation and adaptation. About the Pavilion: Japan Platform for Redesign: Sustainable Infrastructure(JPRSI) https://www.jprsi.go.jp/ja OSINTech booth: https://www.jprsi.go.jp/en/member/334# For inquiries regarding this press release, please contact OSINTech Inc. Public Relations Chie Takahashi hello@osintech.net

  • RuleWatcher is used for science, technology and academic policy research in Japan

    OSINTech Inc.(headquartered in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture; CEO Masato Oda) provides the web service "RuleWatcher", to the National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP), a national research institute under the direct control of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. NISTEP is a research institute that supports the process of science and technology policy making, where a large number of experts conduct research and studies in a wide range of fields. In order to promote science and technology innovation policy, NISTEP is required not only to keep abreast of cutting-edge science and technology trends, but also to broadly grasp the policies of other countries and to analyze future prospects from multiple perspectives. For this purpose, RuleWatcher has been used as a tool for NISTEP to develop new forecasting methods since August 2022. RuleWatcher is a web service that allows users to organize and explore primary information from national governments and international organizations, categorizing it into various themes. Existing themes include not only the field of climate change mitigation and adaptation, but also a wide range of other areas of focus for international rulemaking, such as food systems and global human rights. OSINTech will continue to improve the functionality of RuleWatcher to contribute to the use of NISTEP. Inquiry about this matter: OSINTech Inc. Public Relations Kazue ODA hello@osintech.net

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