06/01/2021
In the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework, the Sustainable Development Goal Index (SDG Index) has been published annually since 2015 (Cambridge, 2020) to assess each country’s performance in achieving the goals, combining economic, social, and environmental indicators. Drawing on this idea, I propose that for space development we create a similar Cosmic Development Goal Index (CDG Index)—an index that evaluates the economic, social, and environmental impacts of space activities.
As competition in space development intensifies, questions surrounding ownership of space resources, limits of use, and the safe development of extraterrestrial environments have become highly sensitive. If we were to design a scoring system that awarded higher points to countries that demonstrate leadership in proposing and implementing responsible, sustainable, and ethical space practices—across economic, social, and environmental dimensions—we could ensure that space development aligns with the principle of “no death, no war, no harm, no suffering.”
Now that the United States and China have already reached Mars, space development is no longer a topic that can be halted by opposition alone. It is crucial to prepare ethical safeguards that, while embracing the drive for progress, also prevent the collapse of sustainable systems. Among these safeguards, the CDG Index could play a central role—offering a global platform to monitor and share each nation’s space development status, ethical considerations, and crisis management measures.
If such a framework were implemented, space development could move beyond being perceived as a purely competitive or exploitative pursuit. Instead, it could be integrated with space art and an awareness of humanity’s finitude within the infinite cosmos—fostering a self-transcendent system rooted in love for humanity, celebrating the abundance and beauty of nature.
[Reference List]
- Sustainable Development Report 2020, Cambridge, https://www.sdgindex.org/
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