“Torino Declaration on Education and Research for Sustainable and Responsible Development” (Turin Declaration) was adopted at the 2009 G8 University Summit. In the Turin Declaration, university presidents and rectors attending the Summit raise four pillars of sustainability and formulate a framework for the concept of sustainability, that is: “economic development, ethical approach, energy policy, ecosystem” (4 E’s). Presidents and rectors declare also that each university takes responsibility for promoting sustainable development, through the promotion of social awareness of sustainability issues, education for young people, acceleration of research programs for construction of sustainable society through mulch disciplinary approaches and giving back their fruits to society.

Time has come to start deciding on a specific plan for the realization of a society that is sustainable. To do this, it seems important that we establish “a new metrics to evaluate sustainable development.” In other words, to realize the sustainable society, it is needed to agree on an operational definition of the concept of sustainability and to establish goals for research programs. From this point of view, “Ethical approach to sustainable development” which is included in 4 E’s is important. In fact establishing a new metrics to evaluate sustainable development is a philosophical and ethical topic. We can identify the establishment of it as a question, or a series of questions like “If a society is sustainable, which conditions are needed for the society?” and “Are such conditions universally valid, and how we define them?” that tend to answer the fundamental question of “What a sustainable society should be”.

Within such framework, we propose the UTCP Workshop “Sustainability and Ethics: Towards Establishment of New Metrics”. Prof. Lombardi (Politecnico di Torino), who will attend “Sustainability Weeks 2009” at Hokkaido University, will make a keynote speech at our workshop on such new metrics currently under discussion in Europe. Then, we will try to promote discussion about sustainability issues also in Japan.

Language: English; Admission Free; No Registration Required

Program
Organizer:
Mariko Muramatsu (UTCP)
Opening remark:
Carlo Naldi (Vice-President, Politecnico di Torino)
Introduction
Ludovico Ciferri (Politecnico di Torino-ISMB)
Keynote speech
Patrizia Lombardi (Politecnico di Torino)
Panel discussion
Kohji Ishihara (UTCP)
Sho Sekiya (UTCP)
Question and discussion session
Closing remark
Yasuo Kobayashi (UTCP)

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