This special section presents contributed short papers from the 2nd Annual Earth-Life Science Institute International Symposium, which was convened at the National Institute of Informatics in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, from March 24th to 26th, 2014. The meeting was attended by about 200 scientists and featured 34 invited speakers from seven countries. Presentations were divided between five oral presentation sessions covering the Origin & Evolution of the Earth-Life System, including 1. Origin of Life: Scenarios & Approach, 2. Water in the Early Solar System, 3. Where Did Life Emerge? Deep Sea, Surface, or Mars?, 4. Exploring the Hadean Earth and 5. Early Evolution of Earth and Life before Oxygen, as well as a poster flash talk session and 3 poster sessions. More information, including a complete speaker list can be found at: http://www.elsi.jp/en/research/activities/symposium/2014/03/000922.html.