LCS-RNet|International Research Network for Low Carbon Societies

Japanese

Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)

（財）地球環境戦略研究機関

The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) has been working on policy research on global environmental issues since its inception in 1998. IGES puts focuses on sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region, which is experiencing the rapid growth in industrial activities and social changes in urban areas that have put pressure on natural resource and the environment in the region.

Climate change, the most urgent issue facing the world today, also presents the region with challenges: the region is burdened with various sources of GHG emissions historically and/or in future, and it also likely to be affected by the severe impact of climate change on regional economies, society and the lives of citizens. In this context, transition to low-carbon societies is one of the most critical agenda for sustainable Asia and the Pacific.

The mission of IGES is to propose effective strategies and practical solutions to contribute to sustainable and low-carbon development in mid and long-term in the region, collaborating with those who are involved in the decision-making, including national and local governments, businesses, NGOs, citizens as well as international organizations.

IGES has launched a new research project entitled “Low-carbon Development in Asia: Diverse Pathways toward a Common Goal” in April 2009. The project addresses its main research question as “Are Asian countries in an advanced position to attain low-carbon development?” The development patterns of Asian countries are considered to have significant impacts on the global climate change in the future. The research focuses on three key components which may affect the development patterns of Asian countries:

i) analysis on different socio-economic and political conditions in each country which may enable or disable low-carbon development;
ii) review of leap-flog technologies and necessary conditions for their quick adoption and dissemination; and
iii) examination of uniqueness, values and wisdoms in Asia which may anchor the low-carbon development.

IGES will tackle these issues together with its research partners in Asia and the Pacific, aiming at showing possible low-carbon development patterns and their enabling conditions in Asia by 2012.

Since 2005, IGES has been holding a series of the Asia-Pacific policy dialogues on the post-2012 climate regime. The policy dialogues have two main goals: (1) to promote new and constructive thinking in the Asia-Pacific region on future actions against climate change beyond 2012; and (2) to contribute to the shaping of a future climate regime that adequately reflects the concerns and developmental aspirations of countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Based upon the results of these policy dialogues, IGES developed policy recommendations for designing the post-2012 climate regime, and actively disseminated them at various international policy processes including the UNFCCC COP and the CSD.

LCS-RNet Secretariat

The LCS-RNet Secretariat, hosted by IGES, is responsible for the time management of the activities and supports the timely delivery of output of the LCS-RNet. The LCS-RNet Secretariat works closely with participating research institutions and their government contact points hosting meetings and other activities of the LCS-RNet for the smooth operation of the Network, as well as to ensure the continuities and consistencies/relevancies of outputs of the Network with its objectives.

The LCS-RNet Secretariat will publish various promotion materials including newsletters, as well as annual reports, research database, and maintain the website of the LCS-RNet.

The research on the status quo of research relating to LCS over the world, analysis of the research requirements to help policy-makers and other stakeholders to bridge between policy-making processes and the research communities are also within the scope of the mandate of the LCS-RNet Secretariat.

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