Keio University X Dignity Center

As societal awareness of sustainability continues to evolve, concepts such as SDGs and ESG have gained widespread recognition. Nevertheless, the current landscape is marred by corporate greenwashing and extreme environmental activism, both of which have generated skepticism and resistance toward legitimate environmental protection initiatives. Moreover, society has failed to adequately heed the urgent warnings issued by international organizations, governmental bodies, NGOs.

Within this context, academia has introduced the novel concept of “planetary health,” which has begun to attract attention from both public and private sectors. This emerging field examines the intricate relationships between global environmental challenges and human health outcomes. Unlike conventional environmental protection approaches that often-cast human socioeconomic activities in a negative light, planetary health offers a fresh perspective that reconsiders environmental mitigation strategies through the lens of human health and wellbeing.

Environmental and health concerns are inextricably linked to human rights protection. In recent years, the global human rights landscape has grown increasingly precarious due to rising protectionism, nationalist sentiments, and proliferating political instability. Domestically, an influx of foreign workers and calls for greater diversity have led to a critical reassessment of human rights frameworks. Corporations not only face significant compliance challenges related to human rights due diligence throughout their supply chain but also need to address the health and human rights considerations of their workforce.

There is a compelling need to illuminate planetary health, which examines the links between environmental issues and health, from a human rights perspective. However, current research on planetary health remains predominantly anchored in medicine and public health, with insufficient contributions from the social sciences.

This research unit will develop a theoretical framework at the nexus of planetary health and human rights. Specifically, by investigating phenomena such as climate-induced forced migration and the resulting health impacts and disparities, we will elucidate human rights implications of environmental transformation. This approach will foster multisectoral collaboration among practitioners, researchers, and corporate leaders to address both environmental and human rights challenges concurrently, with the goal of generating interdisciplinary, practical knowledge that advances the realization of a sustainable society.