1. Enhancing Environmental Intelligence through AI-Driven Data Integration
Background:
AI enables integration of diverse data sources—satellite imagery, IoT sensors, GIS, and citizen science—overcoming fragmented systems and enhancing environmental monitoring, risk forecasting, and health-environment analysis.
Research Objectives and Role of the Group:
The Group develops AI-powered integrated databases and machine learning models for predictive risk management, energy optimization, and health-environment analysis. It plays a bridging role between technical innovation and practical application, especially in addressing data gaps for vulnerable regions.
2. AI-Powered Tools for Evidence-Based and Inclusive Policymaking
Background:
AI enhances analytical tools that support evidence-based policymaking by improving the interpretation of complex environmental and socio-economic data for sustainable planning and resource management.
Research Objectives and Role of the Group:
The Group designs AI-based decision-support tools for scenario analysis, risk modeling, and policy evaluation. It serves as a science-policy interface, translating technical insights into actionable strategies for inclusive, adaptive, and locally grounded policymaking.
3. Governing Emerging Technologies for Future Sustainability Pathways
Background:
As AI and other emerging technologies rapidly shape sustainability transitions, they bring both transformative potential and governance challenges—such as ensuring transparency, accountability, and equity in their use for environmental policy and planning.
Research Objectives and Role of the Group:
The Group conducts foresight analysis on the societal impacts of AI and explores governance models that promote responsible innovation. It aims to guide ethical deployment of AI in sustainability contexts, ensure inclusive technology adoption, and align digital transformation with long-term environmental and social goals.
SDGs-CES
Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains insufficient and uneven, underscoring the need for integrated, transformative action. To help accelerate progress and shape an ambitious post-2030 Agenda, the Integrated Sustainability Centre (ISC) will focus on three priority areas. First, ISC will promote cross-sectoral synergies—nature-positive solutions, co-benefits, and nexus approaches—and advance them through high-level platforms such as the G7/G20, High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD), and United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA). A key output will be a regional synergies report for the Asia-Pacific. Second, IGES will enhance support for just transitions to ensure inclusive and equitable outcomes for youth, seniors, women, and vulnerable groups. This work includes mainstreaming just transitions into SDG implementation as well as promoting education for sustainable development (ESD). Third, ISC will advance a bottom-up approach that combines evidence-based research, capacity building, and knowledge generation to co-design and localize integrated actions, including the circulating and ecological sphere (CES) and water-energy-food-climate nexus. In addition, ISC will examine how localized models can be scaled up, creating local-to-global feedback loops that drive transformation changes to unsustainable systems and address diverse sustainability challenges in Asia.