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Updated:September 26, 2024
Selection of inductees into the Earth Hall of Fame Kyoto
Members of the Earth Hall of Fame Kyoto (inductees) will be selected based upon their contributions to the preservation of the global environment in consideration of the following criteria:
1. Contribution to the establishment of worldwide systems related to preservation of the earth’s environment and consensus-building agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol.
2. Contribution to the promotion of the philosophy of coexistence with the environment and implementation of environmental preservation activities.
3. Seminal academic research and developments that contributed to efforts for the resolution of global environmental problems.
4. Contribution to the preservation of environment through creative activities such as artistic works and eco-friendly lifestyle from or within one’s community.
Kainuma Mikiko (Born in 1950) ,Japan
（Research Advisor, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Honorary Director General, National Institute for Environmental Studies）
Following the 2℃ target (and 1.5℃ challenge) agreed in the Paris Agreement, the IPCC Special Report on 1.5℃ published in 2018 identified that the temperature rise between 2℃ and 1.5℃ had significant differences in impact. As one of the authors, she disseminated these findings, reinforcing the long-term goal from 2℃ to 1.5℃ in the Paris Agreement.
Partha Dasgupta (Born in1942), England
（Frank Ramsey Emeritus Professor, University of Cambridge）
Over the course of 40 years of research, he has completed “The Economics of Biodiversity”, a work that aims to make significant contributions to the fields of economics through its links to population, consumption and the biosphere.
By publishing works such as “Economics Theory and Exhaustible Resources”, he provides the guiding principles for a new environmental study of economics.
Satoshi Yamagishi (Born in 1939),Jaman
(Honorary Director General, Yamashina Institute for Ornithology)
He was engaged with research on the speciation of the Sickle-billed Vanga found in the Republic of Madagascar, where he has contributed to the understanding of the island’s mechanisms of biodiversity. For example, he published the book “A field guide to the birds of Madagascar” in both Japanese and Malagasy, which was dedicated and donated to the children in Madagascar. Furthermore, he has contributed to the development of “behavioral ecology” both domestically and internationally through activities including training many researchers engaged in the study of bird’s breeding behaviors.
Gilles Clément (Born in 1943) ,France
（Gardener, Landscape Designer, Novelist）
He regards the earth as a sort of finite, intermixed living organism, where human activities are pervasive, that is to say, he perceives it as akin to a garden. He explains that mankind, as the gardeners to this “garden”, have a responsibility to properly maintain the earth, and his ideas and methods for gardening in harmony with the environment have a great influence on people.
Nakamura Keiko (Born in1936), Japan
（JT Biohistory Research Hall Honorary Director）
The “Biohistory Research Hall” was founded with the goal of generating knowledge with a biohistorical worldview, and shifting society’s values through doing so. The hall continues to create knowledge together with people from diverse fields, seeking to create a society in which people as living beings can live vibrant lives.
Johan Rockström (Born in 1965), Sweden
（Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research）
Dr. Rockström et al. proposed the idea “planetary boundaries” that, by identifying planetary boundaries within which humanity can continue to develop and thrive for generations to come, we can avoid changes that would prove catastrophic for humanity, and asserted the importance of understanding where the tipping points of such changes lie.
Murakami Kazue (Born in1940), Japan
（Representative of the Association pour la cooperation Et l’autogestion Rurale en Afrique de l’ouest (CARA)(Association for the Cooperation and Rural Self-support in West Africa)）
In rural areas of West Africa suffering from desertification, disease, and poverty, there has been a continued practice of activities (public health, environmental conservation, educational activities, etc.) that supports a sustainable society which strikes a balance between the local environment and the people's livelihoods on a local level, all the while maintaining a close proximity to the local people.
NISHIOKA Shuzo (Born in 1939), Japan
（Senior Research Advisor of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies）
With his 30 year’s experiences in IPCC and UNEP etc., he dedicated his career to building scientific bases of climate policy in Japan as well as globally, especially in Asian countries. His devotion for establishing the International Research Network for Low Carbon Societies (LCS-RNet) Japan insisted in the Toyako G8 Summit, promoted international cooperation in global environmental research.
Tsuchiya Haruki(Born in 1943) Japan
(President of Kyoto Eco Energy Institute,President of Research Institute for Systems Technology)
He served as an advisor to the "Global Warming Countermeasures Research Team" of the National Institute for Environmental Studies and contributed to the promotion of renewable energy in Japan by creating the "2050 Energy Scenario for a Decarbonized Society” together with WWF Japan.
Manuel Pulgar Vidal(Born in 1962) Peru
(WWF Climate Energy Leader,Former Minister of the Environment for Peru,Chair of COP20)
When he was the Minister of the Environment for Peru, as the chairman of COP20 in Lima he stated that non-state actors should be involved in international negotiations, which laid the foundations for the big swell of activities of non-state actors in present climate change countermeasures, and greatly contributed to the subsequent development of international negotiations on environmental conservation.
Kristine Tompkins (Born in 1950) USA
(Former CEO of Patagonia, Inc.)
She was involved in the foundation of Patagonia, Inc. and later became its CEO. For over 25 years she has worked as a nature conservationist, working to protect and restore the wild beauty and biodiversity of Chile and Argentina.
After retiring from Patagonia Inc. in 1993, she spent many years injecting funds, time, and passion into biodiversity conservation projects together with her late husband Mr. Doug Tompkins. She also launched the Tompkins Foundation and established five new national parks with the Chilean government. These parks occupy a total area of more than 10 million acres (about the same size as the Swiss Federation) and have contributed to the long-term conservation of the land, including environmental, cultural, and economic perspectives.
Mary Robinson (Born in 1944) Ireland
(Former President of Ireland, Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights)
Mary Robinson is Chair of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007, who work together for peace, justice and human rights.
Mary Robinson was the first woman President of Ireland (1990-1997) and is a former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997-2002). A tireless advocate for justice, she was President of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative from 2002 to 2010. Mary Robinson served as the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region of Africa from 2013-2014, stepping down in July 2014 to take up the post of Special Envoy for Climate Change. She continued in this post until the end of December 2015 which saw the successful conclusion of the COP21 Climate Summit and the historic Paris Agreement on Climate Change. In 2016, Mary Robinson served as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on El Nino and Climate.
IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)
IPCC is an intergovernmental organization established by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988, having 195 members of nations and regions.
It produces Assessment Reports about scientific knowledge on climate change every 5 or 6 years and provides them to policymakers. It also released the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 ℃ in October 2018, the Special Report on Climate Change and Land in August 2019, and the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate in September 2019, and contributes to promoting international countermeasures against global warming.
In May 2019, the 49th Session was held at Kyoto International Conference Center andthe 2019 Methodology Report (IPCC Kyoto Guideline) was adopted, on measuring greenhouse gas emissions of each country, which is essential for implementing the Paris Agreement.
Christiana Figueres (Born in 1956) Costa Rica
(Diplomat/Former Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC))
During her tenure at the UNFCCC Ms. Figueres brought together national and sub-national governments, corporations and activists, financial institutions and communities of faith, think tanks and technology providers, NGOs and parliamentarians, to jointly deliver the historic Paris Agreement on climate change.
Yamaori Tetsuo (Born in 1931) Japan
(Religious Scholar)
His research and enlightenment activity from a view of religious study contribute to disseminate the way how to make harmonious coexistence with the natural surroundings.
Ego Lemos (Born in 1972) East Timor *Anniversary Prize
(Singer/Environmentalist)
Mr. Ego Lemos, as well as a popular singer, is known as a practitioner for sustainable development. He is spreading his idea on peace and nature all around the world through music.
*Anniversary Prize
The Anniversary Prize is an award to honor those who have practiced regional activities contributing to the preservation of environment and are expected to effectively encourage further improvement of residents’ awareness.
Miguel A. Altieri (Born in 1950) USA
(Professor Emeritus at the University of California)
Dr. Altieri advocates and practices agroecology, the discipline that provides the basic ecological principles for how to study, design, manage and evaluate sustainable agroecosystems that are both productive and natural resource-conserving. He has contributed to the preservation of the environment with his innovative academic research into active global environment conservation and solutions to global environmental problems.
Margaret Anne McKean (Born in 1946) USA
(Professor Emeritus at the Duke University)
As a leading expert in commons research, Dr. McKean expands “iriaiken” Japan's traditional commons (shared resources), to the world, and greatly influences many commons researchers, including the late Dr. Elinor Ostrom (member of the Second Hall of Fame). She has contributed to the preservation of the environment with her innovative academic research into sustainable resource management for solving global environmental problems.
Dennis L. Meadows (Born in 1942) USA
(Professor Emeritus at the University of New Hampshire)
Predicting early on the negative impact of economic growth on the environment, Dr. Meadows designs models that guide policies for the sustainable use of resources. He has contributed to the preservation of the environment with his pioneering academic research into sustainable resource use, and works towards solving global environmental problems.
Augustin Berque (Born in 1942) France
(Professor at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences [EHESS: Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales])
Dr. Berque developed his own interpretation of “Fudo”, which is the interactive relationship between humans and nature. Through his groundbreaking philosophical study on fusing geography with the human existence he has immensely contributed to the promotion of the idea of the coexistence between human beings and our natural environment.
José Alberto Mujica Cordano (Born in 1935) Uruguay
(Former President of Uruguay)
Through Mr. Mujica austere lifestyle, warnings against mass consumerism and materialism, and questioning the meaning of true happiness, he contributes to global agreement and raises awareness of environmental issues and the need for conservation activities.
Tetsu Nakamura (Born in 1946) Japan
(Medical Doctor, Executive Director of PMS (Peace Japan Medical Services) / Representative of Peshawar-kai in Pakistan and Afghanistan)
Dr. Nakamura has been taking the lead in medical services and irrigation projects in Pakistan and Afghanistan and greatly contributed to the promotion of environmental preservation and resolution of global environmental problems.
David Takayoshi Suzuki (Born in 1936) Canada
(Biologist, Environmental Activist, and Emeritus Professor at the University of British Columbia)
Severn Cullis-Suzuki (Born in 1979) Canada
(Culture and Environment Activist, Writer)
They have contributed to the promotion of environmentally- oriented minds among people by tenaciously presenting environmental issues, which otherwise tend to be complex and technical, in a way that is easy to understand for anyone across all generations.
Herman E. Daly (Born in 1938) USA
(Emeritus Professor at the University of Maryland)
Dr. Daly is an ecological economist and a frontrunner in the promotion of sustainable society. He contributed to the promotion of epoch-making academic research to solve global environmental problems with his three "Daly Principles" (consumption rates of renewable resources should not exceed regeneration rates of those resources, etc.). He has greatly influenced the world by providing an indispensable framework for the establishment of a sustainable society.
Video message from Severn Cullis-Suzuki (External link)
Video message from Herman E. Daly (External link)
Video of Commemorative lecture presented by David Takayoshi Suzuki (External link)
Shigeatsu Hatakeyama (Born in 1943) Japan
(Chairperson, NPO Mori wa Umi no Koibito /
Professor of Field Studies and Practical Learning, Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University)
Mr. Hatakeyama, as an oyster farmer in Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, experienced the devastating effects of red tides on oyster quality. Realizing that conserving the forest upstream of the river pouring into the bay is essential in regaining a sound marine environment, Mr. Hatakeyama formed Kaki no Mori wo Shitau Kai (predecessor of NPO Mori wa Umi no Koibito) in 1989, organizing deciduous tree planting by fisherfolk, and initiating environmental education for children. Mr. Hatakeyama’s activities, which have been instrumental in educating the general public that woodland, river, and marine environments are closely interrelated, are recognized as having made significant contributions to the implementation of environmental conservation activities.
Akira Miyawaki (Born in 1928) Japan
(Emeritus Professor, Yokohama National University Director /
Japanese Center for International Studies in Ecology, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies)
Dr. Miyawaki developed a methodology called the “Miyawaki Method,” which involves selecting the main native tree species from the potential natural vegetation, and densely planting potted seedlings of various species with well-developed roots in accordance with the system of natural forests. Dr. Miyawaki has planted over 40 million trees in 1700 locations in and outside Japan, in cooperation with businesses, governments, organizations and citizens. He is dedicated to restoring native forests that nurture living things and our good life, while helping prevent disasters and protect the environment.
Amory B. Lovins (Born in 1947) USA
(Chairman of the Rocky Mountain Institute)
Dr. Lovins has advocated pioneering concepts, such as “negawatt power” and “smart grids,” and has contributed to the world with his innovative academic research to enhancing efficiency of energy use and converting fossil fuels into renewable energy.
Vandana Shiva (Born in 1952) India
(Environmental philosopher, physicist)
Based on scientific knowledge, Dr. Vandana Shiva sounded the alarm about current values concerning the environment, agriculture and food, and has presented her views on how the future global environment should be, such as values and social structure based on traditional styles. She has contributed to dissemination of the ideas of coexistence with the environment and protection of the global environment.
Klaus Töpfer (Born in 1938) Germany
(Executive Director of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies)
Dr. Töpfer played a leading role in organizing the 1992 Earth Summit and the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), through which he laid the foundations of international efforts toward solving global environmental issues. In addition , as Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (from 1998 to 2006), he has also contributed to the improvement and diffusion of basic policies and concrete programs for international efforts aimed at global environmental conservation.
Lester R. Brown (Born in 1934) USA
(President of the Earth Policy Institute)
Dr. Brown has provided scientific analysis on global environmental issues and alerted the world to the necessity of environmental revolution, the need to shift to natural energy sources, the food crisis and other global environmental issues, making significant contributions to international policy-making on global warming issues.
Elinor Ostrom (Born in 1933) USA
(Professor at Indiana University)
Dr. Ostrom proved that the maintenance and management of the commons (communal resources) are most effective when a community with vested interests in a resource plays a complementary management role. She showed that theories about group management of the commons provide important insight into solutions to global environmental problems.
(Dr. Ostrom passed away in 2012)
His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuk (Born in 1955) Bhutan
(Fourth King of the Kingdom of Bhutan)
After his coronation in 1974 at the age of 18 (abdicated in 2006), King Wangchuck promoted democratic reforms while voluntarily curtailing his absolute monarchy over time. In the 1980s, he proposed the concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH).
Masazumi Harada (Born in 1934) Japan
(Former Professor at Kumamoto Gakuen University)
With his thoroughly hands-on approach, Dr. Harada has carried out social medical research on many environmental pollution issues including Minamata disease. He turned the negative legacy of Japan into an academic framework of “Minamata studies” to provide solutions to global environmental issues. Through his revolutionary academic research he has made major contributions to solving global environmental problems.
(Dr. Harada passed away in 2012)
Gro Harlem Brundtland (Born in 1939) Norway
(Former chairperson for the World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission) and former Prime Minster of Norway)
Dr. Brundtland was the chairperson of the United Nations’ World Commission on Environment and Development, whose 1987 report, “Our Common Future,” advocated the concept of sustainable development, greatly contributing to the formation of many current international environmental conservation policies.
Syukuro Manabe (Born in 1931) USA
(Senior Researcher in the Ocean and Atmospheric Research Program at Princeton University, and honorary member of the Japan Academy)
Dr. Manabe developed the general circulation model of the coupled ocean-atmosphere model and applied them for studying climate change. Currently, his modeling approach is used as a prototype for the projection of global warming that has been conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Global Climate Change.
Wangari Maathai (Born in 1940) Kenya
(Former Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kenya)
Dr. Maathai was impressed by the Japanese word ""mottainai"" (respect for the inherent value in all things) when she visited Kyoto in February 2005 to attend an event commemorating the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. She later spread the use of the concept as an environmental keyword. Her various activities have greatly contributed to the promotion of coexistence with the environment and the implementation of environmental preservation activities.
(Dr. Maathai passed away in 2011)
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