History of the Institute

Timeline NIES Events Major Environmental Events
Early 1970s   Worsening of photochemical smog
1971 July Establishment of the Environment Agency  
1971 November Establishment of NIES Founding Committee  
1971 to 1973   Court judgements on four major pollution cases
1972 June   UN Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm, Sweden
1973 March Final Report Presentment by NIES Founding Committee  
1974 March Establishment of NIES  
1974 May   Dr. Roland and Dr. Molina report having observed depletion of the ozone layer
1978 October Establishment of NIES Board of Councilors  
1985 April Vist of Emperor Showa to NIES  
1988 November   Establishment of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
1990 July Restructuring of NIES to include global environmental research Launch of research projects funded by Japan's Global Environment Research Fund
1990 October Establishment of the Center for Global Environmental Research  
1992 June   Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1993 November   Basic Environment Law promulgated in Japan
1997 December   Kyoto Conference on Global Warming (UNFCCC COP3) held
1998 June First NIES Open Symposium held  
2001 January1 Environment Agency becomes Ministry of the Environment.
Establishment of Waste Management Division at NIES
 
2001 April Establishment of NIES as an Incorporated Administrative Agency.
First five-year plan (2001-2005) commences
 
2006 April Second five-year plan (2006-2010) commences  
2010 August Visit of the Japanese Emperor and Empress to NIES  
2010 October   Nagoya Conference on Biological Diversity (CBD COP10) held
2011 March   Great East Japan Earthquake
2011 April Third Five-Year-Plan (2011-2015) commences  
2013 March Amendment of the third five-year plan (2011-2015)  
2015 April Establishment of NIES as a National Research and Development Agency  
2015 September   Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs) held at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit.
2015 December   Paris Conference on UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP COP21) held
2016 April Fourth Five-Year-Plan (2016-2020) commences; Fukushima Brach established  
2017 Apri Lake Biwa Branch Office established  
2018 June   Climate Change Adaptation Act promulgated in Japan
2018 December Amendment of the Fourth Five-Year-Plan (2016-2020); Center for Climate Change Adaptation(CCCA) established  
2021 April Fifth Five-Year-Plan (2021-2025)  

NIES when first established
NIES at the time of establishment
Opening Ceremony of New NIES (May 2001)
Ceremony to mark the inauguration of NIES as an Incorporated Administrative Agency
Visit of Their Majesties the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita, the then Emperor and Empress (Aug 2010)
Visit of Their Majesties the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita, the then Emperor and Empress