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(Provisional Translation) Keynote Address by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at the Opening Ceremony of the Science and Technology in Society Forum (STS Forum) November 14, 2004

Assembled Ministers, Your Excellencies, Opinion leaders of all sectors of society, Ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to have the opportunity to deliver a keynote address to you today. This is the first "Science and Technology in Society Forum" to be held and it is being attended by opinion leaders of all sectors of society from around the world. I am sure it will be a forum that will open a new page in humankind's knowledge activities. As Prime Minister of Japan, the country hosting the STS Forum, I would like to welcome all of you. Since becoming prime minister, I have focused my energies into promoting science and technology. This is based on my belief that environmental protection and economic development are mutually achievable, and that it is science and technology that has the power to realize these dual goals. Everyone in the world desires clean water, pure air, safe food, and a beautiful natural environment. However, I am sure that there are many people who think that maintaining and protecting such a beautiful environment comes at a cost. Some people might think that efforts to protect the environment would hold back the progress of economic development. Environmental protection and economic development, are however, mutually achievable and sustainable. Forty years ago, when Japan was pushing ahead in a period of high-speed growth, its economy expanded by more than ten percent every year. It was during that time when pollution in Japan became very serious. In those days it was thought that giving consideration to environmental protection would create large costs. Three and a half years ago, when I became prime minister, the percentage of low emission cars among government vehicles stood only at five percent. The reason for the slow uptake of low emission cars was their high unit cost. As prime minister, one of the first things I did was issue an instruction that within three years all government vehicles should be converted to low emission cars. As a result of the government buying low emission cars, even at a high unit cost, auto-makers began to invest more in their production. Due to this investment, the unit cost of low emission cars dropped, and now they are becoming a popular purchase among ordinary users. The government has also lease-purchased the first hydrogen energy car - the long-hoped for zero-emission vehicle. A fixed zero-emission hydrogen energy system for home use is going to be installed in the official residence of the prime minister, which will be completed in the spring of next year. Now, people are buying environmentally friendly products, even if they are a little more expensive. From what I have just mentioned it is clear that the environment and the economy can be successfully supported together. The key to achieve both is the power of science and technology. Science and technology has the power to open new paths to solutions to the difficult issues that face us. At the same time we must not forget that while science and technology has many "bright" sides, it also has "dark" sides. Although the invention of the steam engine brought about the industrial revolution, it also brought a dramatic increase in the consumption of fossil fuels, which caused the problem of global warming we face today. Moving forward into modern times, we see that while the development and spread of information technology has made our daily life more convenient, it has also created new problems of information security. Recent developments in the life sciences also pose a grave challenge in terms of the bioethics of handling cloning technology. The progress of science and technology is truly amazing. It is crossing national borders and creating changes in all of our daily lives. It is for this reason that we must gather together the wisdom of all people around the world to solve the problems that science and technology cause. This STS Forum is the first attempt in the world to address issues humankind faces in dealing with the bright and dark sides of science and technology as well as issues in the future of humankind. It will benefit from the valuable input of opinion leaders from various sectors. This includes not only scientists, but also politicians, policymakers, business leaders, and journalists. I would like to express my respect and appreciation to those who worked hard to make this Forum possible. As you may know, this conference hall is the place where the Kyoto Protocol for global warming prevention was finalized. It is my hope that from here in the ancient city Kyoto, another new endeavor for knowledge activities will spread around the world. I am sure that such efforts will bring further "brightness" to more and more people, and be a source of well-being and prosperity. Now is the season to treat our eyes to the beautiful foliage and enjoy the sumptuous delicacies of the autumn harvest in Kyoto. I hope you will be able to spend some time enjoying the historic sights and have a memorable experience in Kyoto. Thank you for your attention.