Hello!
We are UTokyo GX Student Network.
Story behind the beginning of our Network
01
TSCP Student Committee
TSCP Office (now the TSCP Team, Facilities Planning Division), established in 2008, has been working on various energy saving measures to create a low-carbon campus. However, the realization of a truly sustainable campus requires the participation of students, who are the largest users of the campus. In July 2015, TSCP Student Committee (UTokyo Sustainability) was hence established under the TSCP team.
The committee promoted energy conservation on campus through the "SHUT the SASH" campaign and the UTokyo Building Environmental Performance Assessment Project, conducted sustainability awareness raising activities such as the biennial "UTokyo Student Sustainability Awareness Survey", and provided a place to learn by holding various events including exhibitions at EcoPro. These activities were carried out in collaboration with the TSCP team, incorporating "students' viewpoints".
02
UTokyo Sustainable Network
UTSN was founded by students affiliated with four environmental organizations at the University of Tokyo (Climate Action UT, ECHO, Kankyo Sanshiro, TSCP Student Committee) in the summer of 2021. Recognizing the absence of a comprehensive organization dedicated to university sustainability and the need for a "network" among separate environmental groups and interested students, as well as the global nature of sustainability issues, the initiative aimed to promote collaboration between Japanese and international students to address university challenges.
They implemented distinctive operational approaches, which included a project-based working style. In this structure, various teams with specific objectives, like the Water Server Project, functioned autonomously within the network. Additionally, they formed Central Council dedicated to make the network operate as a single entity through extensive discussions. They also promoted bilingual communication among members in both Japanese and English and actively engaged with university faculty and staff in their pursuit of systematic changes.
03
UTokyo GX
In the "UTokyo Compass," the basic policy regarding the philosophy and direction the university should aim for, released on September 30, 2021, Green Transformation (GX) was positioned as one of the pillars of the action plan. In April 2022, the GX Promotion Subcommittee was established under the Future Society Initiative (FSI), and has since been in charge of creating the Race to Zero roadmap. Under the subcommittee is the Student GX Initiative, which aims to " stimulate students' voluntary activities related to GX" and "promote inter-university collaborative activities by students for GX."
04
UTokyo
GX Student Network
GXSN was established in May 2023 through the merger of the two student organizations mentioned above, under the leadership of the GX Promotion Subcommittee. We work towards advancing GX at the University of Tokyo with guidance and support from the main GX Promotion and Environmental divisions of its headquarters. We regularly report project progress and Network meeting outcomes through meetings with the faculty members at Student GX initiative and the administrative staff, making proposals as needed.
All currently enrolled students at our university can join at any time!