Sapporo Sustainability Declaration(SSD)

I.　Joint Affirmations and Actions for Sustainability.

We, Presidents of the attending universities at the G8 University Summit, jointly affirm our recognition of the following principles concerning the role of universities in global efforts to attain sustainability, which will lead to our actions, as appropriate.

1. The importance of sustainability.

Sustainability at the human, social and global levels is one of the most important ideas of the 21st century. A series of conferences and declarations have served as important milestones on the path toward global sustainability (see Appendix, “Background of the G8 University Summit”).

2. Sustainability issues have become urgent political concerns.

Sustainability problems including climate change, previously regarded as primarily a scientific issue, have become urgent political concerns. In addition to urgent social issues such as poverty alleviation and development, climate change has a wide range of interrelated impacts on human, social and global sustainability. The global environmental crisis we face today is unlike any of the problems humanity has surmounted in its history: it is more far-reaching, more complex, and attended by a high degree of uncertainty. Moreover, we have little time left to resolve this crisis.

3. The responsibility of universities.

All universities have an important role in problem-solving to bequeath a sustainable world to future generations. Through their research, universities are expected to provide timely solutions to these problems and to closely coordinate with policy-makers if these solutions are to be promptly and appropriately implemented. It is more important to note, however, that the role played by universities is changing and becoming increasingly critical, since universities, being neutral and objective, are best situated to inform political and social change toward a sustainable society.

Collaboration with a range of stakeholders including civil society and the private sector is also important to ensure such solutions are practically applicable and appropriate to build a sustainable society. Universities must work together in the areas of sustainability research and policy analysis toward this end. At the same time, the academic objectivity of universities is a key strength which should not be sacrificed. The leading research universities of the G8 member nations have a particular role to play by demonstrating leadership in fulfilling these responsibilities.

4. The need to restructure scientific knowledge.

Sustainability is a broad area that embraces a complex diversity of interrelated factors ranging from the natural environment to socioeconomic systems. Global sustainability can be achieved only through a comprehensive approach that addresses socioeconomic as well as environmental issues.

The G8 summits, the United Nations and other international organizations have launched a number of initiatives addressing various aspects of sustainability, such as a low-carbon society, a resource-circulating society, and a nature-harmonious society. However, the development of a truly comprehensive vision of a sustainable society will require new scientific knowledge, restructured to reverse past tendencies toward stratification and fragmentation in research, and to foster an integrated approach to solving problems by accelerating inter-disciplinary research activities.

5. The need for a network of networks.

To restructure　scientific knowledge in this manner, a unifying framework is necessary, facilitating this integrated problem-solving approach among research disciplines.  Essential to such a framework is the creation of a “network of networks” (NNs) that links the various discipline-specific research networks already in place, thereby utilizing and augmenting their respective strengths and knowledge bases.

In this network of networks, interdisciplinary cooperation among universities in different regions can be effectively enhanced through initiatives such as student exchange, faculty exchange and joint research projects.

6. The need for "knowledge innovation."

Achieving sustainability requires social change, which is predicated on changing public awareness. Universities and their researchers have a responsibility to articulate and disseminate new sustainability-related scientific knowledge and information, including its attendant uncertainty, to society at large.

Through dialogue between scientists and other stakeholders, including citizens and policy makers, new knowledge can be a catalyst for social innovation and effective policymaking. Conversely, this dialogue can spur further innovations in knowledge that help society progress along the path to sustainability. This interactive "knowledge innovation" dynamic between knowledge and society must be actively promoted if sustainability is to be achieved.

7. The role of higher education for sustainability.

Universities have a critical role to play in educating future generations, disseminating information about sustainability, and particularly by training leaders with the skills to solve regional and local problems from a global and interdisciplinary perspective. Especially crucial is the fostering of human resources to work toward sustainability in the developing nations that bear the brunt of global environmental problems. A network of networks can also provide opportunities for collaborating universities to develop and improve higher education capacity in their respective nations and regions.

8. The function of the university campus as an experimental model.

Another potential role for universities in the effort to attain sustainability is the use of their campuses as models for a sustainable society, based on interactions with various stakeholders in society through the academic research and education processes.

Universities can provide venues in which to test new sustainability-relevant knowledge in a social context. Activities already being undertaken by participating universities, such as the development of “sustainable” or “green” campuses, and the issuing of action statements in response to climate change, are examples of how to showcase a sustainable society.

By serving as test models for society at large, universities help foster in their students the attitudes and skills necessary to achieve a sustainable society in the future. Thus the sustainable campus can serve as both an experiment in progress and an ideal tool for educating future generations.

Each of the universities participating in the G8 University Summit plays a prominent role in its part of the world. Models developed by these universities, reflecting each region’s economic, social and cultural conditions, together can provide the components for a global model that incorporates regional diversity.