Forest research for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) address issues affecting the entire planet while attempting to realize a sustainable society. Goal 15 outlines the “sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems” and is an important goal for the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI). However, because forests provide a wide variety of ecosystem services, we are concerned with a wide range of objectives in addition to goal 15. Indeed, the FFPRI conducts comprehensive researches on all aspects of forests to realize a sustainable society.

In the current era, our lives considerably depend on non-renewable and depleting resources such as fossil fuels and minerals. In contrast, the services and resources provided by forests are renewable. However, if mishandled, such resources can also deplete. Therefore, forests and other renewable resources will play a vital role in creating sustainable societies in the future. Forest researchers are vital to this process, as they conduct key research necessary to realize SDGs by the target year of 2030 as well as 2050, the target year for achieving zero carbon emissions.

During its history of over 110 years, the FFPRI has been conducting interdisciplinary research on forests, forestry, the timber industry, and tree breeding. We have paved the way for transdisciplinary research with existing stakeholders. Going forward, I hope the FFPRI can co-design and collaborate more diverse stakeholders (international organizations, government officials, industry leaders, educational institutions, forest owners, beneficiaries of ecosystem services, and future generations) on forest-related research. We look forward to collaborating with you in the future in a variety of ways.

Tohru Nakashizuka (Toru Asano)
Director General of FFPRI