Kazuhiko Takemoto elected as IIASA Council Chair

Michael Clegg will complete his term as both IIASA Council Chair and Council member for the US National Member Organization at the end of December 2023. He will be succeeded by Vice Chair of the IIASA Council and Council member for Japan, Kazu Takemoto, who has been elected as the new IIASA Council Chair for a three-year period from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2026.

Takemoto brings a wealth of experience to the position, having devoted his career to policy-relevant research aimed at addressing the pressing challenges of our time. He is currently affiliated with the University of Tokyo Institute for Future Initiatives as a Visiting Professor, where his work continues to shape our understanding of sustainability and environmental issues. Concurrently, he also serves as the President of the Overseas Environmental Cooperation Center (OECC).

Prior to his tenure at the University of Tokyo, Takemoto served as Director of the United Nations University Institute for Advanced Study of Sustainability from 2014 through 2019, during which he helped to lay the foundation for the institute's impactful initiatives and collaborations. He also previously held the position of Vice-Minister for Global Environment Affairs at the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, where he was responsible for shaping national policy development concerning global environment issues and international cooperation for sustainable development. His contributions to Japan's environmental policy framework have had a lasting impact, reinforcing the country's commitment to global sustainability.

In addition to the above, he has held prominent roles in various other international organizations. Notably, he served as the Alternate President of the Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties (CBD/COP10) in 2010, and as Vice Chair of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)'s Environment Policy Committee from 2004 to 2007. His role as Special Assistant to the President at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (UNFCCC/COP3) in 1997 was instrumental in shaping the early stages of international climate negotiations.

“On behalf of IIASA, I would like to thank Michael Clegg for his service, experienced leadership, and deep commitment to IIASA, both as US Council member and as Council Chair, and to welcome Kazu Takemoto in his new role. His remarkable track record and previous experience as Vice Chair of the IIASA Council gives him distinctive insights into the challenges IIASA faces, as well as their potential solutions. We look forward to working with him in the next three years,” concludes IIASA Acting Director General, Wolfgang Lutz.