Receiving Anthem Award Statue for Back to Blue Project from The Economist Group CEO
On May 7, Ms. Lara Boro, CEO of The Economist Group, a world-renowned multinational media company headquartered in London, came to see me at The Nippon Foundation in Tokyo. Her purpose was to present me with the prestigious Anthem Award bronze statue given to the Back to Blue project by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences (IADAS) in 2022 in the Sustainability, Environment and Climate category. The Back to Blue initiative was created in 2021 by The Nippon Foundation and Economist Impact, part of The Economist Group, to address the escalating challenges posed by pollution from plastic debris and pollution from nutrients and chemical contaminants that are damaging ocean life and ecosystems, and in turn human health. The project combines the scientific knowledge The Nippon Foundation has built over the years with the analytical insights that Economist Impact fosters. The annual Anthem Awards was launched in 2021 with a mission to celebrate and highlight the incredible social impact work happening across the globe. It is now recognized as the biggest and most comprehensive social impact award in the world. I greatly appreciated Ms. Lara Boro taking time out of her busy schedule to come all the way from London to Tokyo to hand the statue to me. The Economist Group is an indispensable partner of The Nippon Foundation in addressing global ocean issues. On March 11-13 this year, Economist Impact organized the 11th World Ocean Summit, a leading global event on the marine economy, in Lisbon, Portugal. It brought together more than 200 speakers and 1,000 delegates, including representatives from governments, the U.N. and the global ocean community, as well as senior executives from the technology, finance, science and civil society sectors. In March 2025, The Nippon Foundation, in partnership with Economic Impact, will host the 12th World Ocean Summit in Tokyo. Speaking at the 2024 summit in Lisbon on March 13, I said: “As the chairman of The Nippon Foundation, and a proud citizen of a nation, with deep historical and cultural ties to the ocean, I look forward to welcoming you all next year. See you in Tokyo!” The Tokyo summit will continue action-based conversations on the key themes from recent World Ocean summits, as well as provide a vital opportunity for participants from Asia to engage with the global ocean community ahead of the U.N. Oceans Conference in June 2025. Recognizing that the transition to a sustainable ocean economy is one of the most pressing issues facing the world, the foundation is already preparing for the 2025 summit. 
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