2021 Innovation for Cool Ear th Forum

What is ICEF?
Every year since 2014, the Government of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry,and NEDO have hosted the Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) to gather leadinginternational figures in Tokyo to discuss how to combat climate change throughtechnological innovation.
ICEF’s mission is to nurture discussion and collaboration among participants and todisseminate the industry’s latest innovations in energy and environmental technologies
by providing a place where experts can share their knowledge on how to tackle the 21st
century’s greatest environmental challenge.
A distinguished steering committee, consisting of members from all around the world,
strives to bring the best minds together to develop a program which address forces ofchange while ensuring they are based on solid evidence.
Participants are invited from industry, academia, and governments to exchange
knowledge, to challenge each other, and to listen to renowned speakers discuss theInnovation for
Cool Earth Forumlatest developments in social and technological innovation.

Contents

The conference is a great opportunity to meet a wide range of high-level and committed

ICEF 2021 Report

1 ICEF 2021 Report

What is ICEF?

2

8th Annual Meeting

3

Program4

Opening Remarks

5

Plenary Sessions

6

Technology Sessions

9Side Events

12

Closing Session

14

Statement

15

Innovation Cases

17

Roadmap Projects

20

Steering Committee Members

21

Messages from Co-Hosts

22

participants, and a place to learn about the latest technological innovations from Japanand around the world.

ICEF 2021 Report 2

2021 Innovation for Cool Ear th Forum2021 Innovation for Cool Ear th Forum

8th Annual Meeting

ProgramOverall theme

DAY 1（Wednesday, October 6）

DAY 2（Thursday, October 7）

9:00-11:15

9:00-10:00

Pathways to Carbon Neutrality by 2050: Accelerating the pace of global decarbonization
Side Events

Energy System Integration

NEDO Moonshot R&D Program Symposium“Future Prospect for Direct Air Capture andCO2 Utilization”

Virtual Forum
Wednesday, October 6, 2021- Thursday, October 7, 2021
14:35-15:05

Co-hosts

Side Events
Roadmap Projects“Carbon Mineralization”

Opening Session
Message from HAGIUDA Koichi(Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry)

10:10-11:10

Keynote 1
Dialogue between Dr. Fatih Birol(IEA Executive Director) and
Mr. TANAKA Nobuo (ICEF Chair)

Institutional Partners

15:10-16:40

16:50-17:50

11:20-12:20

Technology Session 4
Negative Emission Technologies

13:20-13:25

Keynote 2
Video Message from Mr. Michael Bloomberg（Interview by Mr. TANAKA Nobuo (ICEF Chair))

Plenary Session 1
Policy Innovation

Technology Session 3
Nuclear Power as a Power Source for
Decarbonization

Video Message from HIROSE Naoshi(Vice-Minister for International Affairs,
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)
Opening Remarks

Technology Session 2

13:30-14:45

Plenary Session 2
Behavioral Innovation for a DecarbonizedSociety

Technology Session 1
Sustainable Food System for 2050

Participants

15:00-16:00

Technology Session 5
Digital Technology to achieve Ef f iciency and
Decarbonization

More than 2,000 participants from governments, international organizations,the business sector and academia representing 87 countries and regions
15:00-17:00

The co-hosted event by UNIDO“Achieving global carbon neutrality– collaboration with developing andemerging nations”

Outcomes of ICEF 2021
• Innovation Cases• Roadmap Projects on Carbon Mineralization

16:15-17:30• Statement from the Steering Committee

ICEF’s Official YouTube Channel

3 ICEF 2021 Report

Side Events

Plenary Session 3
Private Sector’s Responsibility for Achieving
Carbon Neutrality

17:35-18:05

Closing Session
Closing Remarks
Roadmap Announcement
Statement from the Steering Committee
Final Thoughts on the Event

ICEF 2021 Report 4

2021 Innovation for Cool Ear th Forum2021 Innovation for Cool Ear th Forum

Opening Remarks

Plenary Sessions

It is a great pleasure that ICEF 2021 is being held today as part of

Plenary Session 1

Tokyo “Beyond-Zero” Week. As you know, the Japanese government

The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions temporarily dropped during the initial phase of the COVID-19

has declared its aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, so we are

pandemic but have since begun to rebound and rise again. Therefore, we must continue to act andworking hard to attain this goal and contribute to global carbon

implement all possible measures in order to achieve global carbon neutrality (CN) targets. As eachneutrality.

country’s economic structure, energy systems, CO2 emission reduction targets, etc. vary, there are

To achieve carbon neutrality, it is important that each country seek

different pathways to achieve CN targets. In this session, we discussed the importance of government

various pathways based on their own situation, instead of adopting

policy to further implement the decarbonized technologies such as hydrogen and Carbon dioxide

the same solutions for everyone.
Not only will research and development play a key role in increasing

Policy Innovation

Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) to reduce GHG emissions and also to ensure the transition thatthe number of innovative solutions, but the dissemination of these

Minister of Economy,
Trade and Industry

solutions around the world will also be important.

HAGIUDA Koichi

ICEF 2021, which starts today, is crucial for crystallizing the idea. The

enables climate-neutral economy happen in a fair way and leave no one behind. By including youth
and women into the policy discussion, we can all work together for innovative policy-making in orderto achieve our 2050 goals.

number of international conferences which are being held during
Tokyo “Beyond-Zero” Week has increased from six last year to eight this year. This reflects Japan’s
serious commitment to carbon neutrality.
To tackle climate change, ICEF provides a platform for global leaders in industry, government, and

TANAKA Nobuo (Moderator)
Chair, Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) Steering Committee;
Former Executive Director, International Energy Agency (IEA)

academia to hold discussions and disseminate important innovations in the energy andenvironmental fields. Also being discussed are technologies that are essential to a carbon neutral

Hoesung Lee (Moderator)

future, such as decarbonization in the digital field, negative emission technologies, which allow

Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) Steering Committee;
Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC);
Endowed Chair Professor, Graduate School of Energy and Environment, Korea University

countries to take various pathways to achieve decarbonization.
Today, we are privileged to have many participants from diverse backgrounds joining us fromaround the world, including those from government agencies, international organizations,Ambassador Patricia Flor (Speaker)

Changhua Wu (Speaker)

industry associations, and academia. Furthermore, this year we are excited to have participants 35

EU Ambassador to Japan

Chief Executive Director, Beijing Future
Innovation Center

Samantha McCulloch (Speaker)

Natalie Jones (Speaker)

Head of Carbon Capture Utilisation andStorage Unit, International Energy Agency(IEA)

Research Associate, Centre for the Study of
Existential Risk, University of Cambridge;
Affiliated Researcher, Stockholm
Environment InstituteStrategic Advisor, Centre for Climate Repair
at Cambridge

years old and younger taking part in each session. I strongly hope that from Tokyo, we can show
the world a path forward.
We look forward to working with you all toward a carbon neutral world. I greatly appreciate
everyone’s tremendous contribution and sincerely hope that today’s conference will produce
consequential results as we move forward. Thank you very much.

Thetis Georgiou (Speaker)
Young Ambassador on the Future of Europe

KAWASAKI Rena (Speaker)
Chief Future Officer (CFO), Euglena Co., Ltd.

5 ICEF 2021 Report

ICEF 2021 Report 6

2021 Innovation for Cool Ear th Forum2021 Innovation for Cool Ear th Forum

Plenary Session 2

Behavioral Innovation for a Decarbonized Society

Plenary Session 3

Private Sector’s Responsibility for Achieving Carbon Neutrality

Individual behavioral change of all stakeholders in society plays an essential role in achieving carbon

Just in the last two years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of countries andneutrality (CN). Currently, households consume 29% of global energy, however, one study found that

regions discussing and setting carbon neutrality (CN) targets. In January 2020, countries andindividual behavioral change across various sectors could reduce projected GHG emissions byregions declaring CN targets accounted for 34% of the world’s emissions, by July 2021 this number

20-37% from 2020 to 2050.

reached 70%. To achieve these CN targets, the private sector will play a crucial role by developing

Since human behavior is not always rational, we need to consider how to induce behavioral

and disseminating low-carbon and decarbonization technologies. Additionally, companies will

innovations which will contribute to the reduction of GHG emissions. Behavioral innovation can beneed to update their business models to reflect their long-term CN strategies/activities as adefined as causing a fundamental change in human behavior by effectively triggering actions to

response to the CN demands of customers and disclosure regulations of financial institutions.

impact a cause. In this regard, public awareness has only been a pre-condition to behavioral changeThis session explored how companies are setting their long-term decarbonized strategies as welland social innovations leading to a decarbonized society. The key question is how to maintain public

as the short-term ones, how they should disclose related information to financial institutions, orawareness at the present level, and how to "use" this level of awareness toward reducing emissions.

how clean technology should be disseminated. The importance of public finance, and theThis session discussed necessary changes/pathways for individual behavioral innovation, as well as

consideration of each regional characteristics was also discussed.

the effect from the Covid-19 and behavioral change, and also youth involvement.
Jon Moore (Moderator)
Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) Steering Committee;
Chief Executive Officer, BloombergNEF

KURODA Reiko (Moderator)

Laurence Tubiana (Moderator)

Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) Steering Committee;
Designated Professor, Frontier Research Institute, Chubu University;
Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo

Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) Steering Committee;
CEO, European Climate Foundation;
Chair of the Board of Governors, French Development Agency (AFD);
Professor, Sciences Po Paris

Georg Erdmann (Moderator)

Sarah Chandler (Speaker)
Senior Director, Environment and Supply
Chain Innovation, Operations, Apple

Julien Perez (Speaker)
Vice President, Strategy & Policy,
Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI)

Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) Steering Committee;
Retired Professor for Energy Systems, Berlin University of Technology;
President of the Board, KSB Energie AG, Berlin

Rob Harrison (Speaker)

Matt O'Keefe (Speaker)

Xavier Denoly (Speaker)

TAKAHASHI Kenji (Speaker)

Director,
Ethical Consumer Research Association

Head of Opower at Oracle Utilities

Sustainable Development Senior Vice President,
Schneider Electric

General Manager, Decarbonization Promotion
Section, Corporate Strategy Department,
JERA Co., Inc.

Elisabetta Cornago (Speaker)

Rakhim Rakhimov (Speaker)

Antonina Scheer (Speaker)

Research fellow,
Centre for European Reform

Behavioral Research Associate,
Center for Behavior & the Environment, Rare

Researcher at the Transition Pathway Initiative,
London School of Economics and Political
Science (LSE) Grantham Research Institute on
Climate Change and the Environment

7 ICEF 2021 Report

ICEF 2021 Report 8

2021 Innovation for Cool Ear th Forum2021 Innovation for Cool Ear th Forum

Technology Sessions
Technology Session 1

Sustainable Food System for 2050

Technology Session 3

Nuclear Power as a Power Source for Decarbonization

Food system (including production, transportation, processing, packaging, storage, retail, consumption,

In this session, from a short and medium-long term perspective, we discussed the technicalloss and disposal) is an area where little attention has been paid with regard to climate change

development of existing light-water reactor (LWR) technologies and next-generation reactor

measures. However, present estimates suggest that implementing food system have the potential totechnologies with the aim of reaching carbon neutrality (CN) by 2050. Additionally, we touchedabate about 20% of the CO2 reduction required to achieve carbon neutrality (CN) by 2050. In this session,

upon the concerns and social acceptability of nuclear power technologies.

we presented the current and future state of food systems, along with discussing supply chains.
Specifically, the discussion involved solutions such as promoting the agriculture technologies (soilintelligence and data platform etc.) for small farmers in emerging markets, and the food information for
consumer behavior change to achieve our short-term (until 2030) and long-term (2050) CN goals.
Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) Steering Committee;
Inaugural Fellow, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University;
Co-Director, Energy and Environment Concentration, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University

Ismail Serageldin (Panelist)

ISHII Naoko (Speaker)

Brian Bosire (Speaker)
Founder and CEO, UjuziKilimo & Hydrologistics Africa

Uma Lele (Speaker)

Technology Session 2

Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) Steering Committee;
Associate Provost, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Eija-Riitta Korhola (Moderator)
Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) Steering Committee;
Delegate of the Consultative Commission on Industrial Change;
Advisor in the EU Affairs

Ashley E. Finan (Speaker)

KANZAKI Yurugi (Speaker)

Myagmarjav Odtsetseg (Speaker)

Aditi Verma (Speaker)

Director, National Reactor Innovation Center,
Idaho National Laboratory

David Sandalow (Moderator)

Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) Steering Committee;
Emeritus Librarian of Alexandria;
Founding Director of the Library of Alexandria

Richard K. Lester (Moderator)

Executive Vice President and Director, Center for Global
Commons, The University of Tokyo

President of the International Association of Agricultural
Economists (IAAE), elected in 2021;
Institute of Economic Growth, University of Delhi

Researcher (Dr. Eng.), IS Process Experiment Group,
HTGR Research and Development Center,
Japan Atomic Energy Agency

Technology Session 4

Director, Nuclear Systems Engineering Department,
Nuclear Energy Systems, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.

Assistant Research Scientist, Department of Nuclear
Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan;
Visiting Scholar, Project on Managing the Atom,
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs,
Harvard Kennedy School of Government

Negative Emission Technologies

Aiming to achieve carbon neutrality (CN) by 2050, Negative Emission Technologies (NETs), such as
Direct Air Capture and Storage (DACCS) and Bioenergy CCS (known as BiCRS or BECCS), are

Energy System Integration

attracting attention. This technology can reduce residually emitted CO2 from hard-to-abate sectors.

The “Energy System Integration” session covered solutions for society-wide energy system integration

This session showed an overview of the current situation regarding cost, potential to install, andwith a view to achieving carbon neutrality (CN) by 2050 from an energy supply viewpoint.

making a partnership for NETs and discussed about establishment of legal framework andDiscussions addressed how sector coupling will shift the conventional linear energy system to an

expanding investment for NETs using market. Also, looking forward to achieving CN, it was

efficient circular system by reaching beyond the energy sector to integrating the electric power

explored what short and medium-long term initiatives will be required.

sector with non-energy sectors, such as transport and industry, as well as other energy carriers. It
was stressed that a coupled system requires both supply- and demand-side flexibility. Each
speaker showcased emerging technologies and business opportunities.
YAMAJI Kenji (Moderator)
Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) Steering Committee;
President/Director-General, Research Institute of Innovative
Technology for the Earth (RITE);
Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo
Carlalberto Guglielminotti (Speaker)
Chief Executive Officer, NHOA

Ejeong Baik (Speaker)
PhD Candidate, Department of Energy Resources
Engineering, Stanford University

9 ICEF 2021 ReportDavid Sandalow (Moderator)

Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) Steering Committee;
Inaugural Fellow, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University;
Co-Director, Energy and Environment Concentration, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University

NISHIMURA Kiyoshi (Speaker)
Guest Professor, Business Engineering, Osaka University

S. Julio Friedmann (Speaker)

Senior Research Scholar, Center for Global Energy Policy,
Columbia University

SUGIYAMA Masahiro (Speaker)
Associate Professor at the Institute for Future Initiatives (IFI),The University of Tokyo

Luciano Martini (Speaker)
Director, Green Powered Future Mission, Mission Innovation;
Director, Transmission and Distribution Technology
Department, Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico (RSE)

Shuchi Talati (Speaker)
Chief of Staff, Office of Fossil Energy & Carbon Management,
US Department of Energy (DOE)

AKIMOTO Keigo (Speaker)
Group Leader of Systems Analysis Group, Chief Researcher,
Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE)OTSUKI Takashi (Speaker)

Senior Researcher, New and Renewable Energy Group,
Electric Power Industry & New and Renewable Energy Unit,
The Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ)ICEF 2021 Report 10

2021 Innovation for Cool Ear th Forum2021 Innovation for Cool Ear th ForumSide Events
Technology Session 5

Digital Technology to achieve Efficiency and Decarbonization

The “Digital Technology to achieve Efficiency and Decarbonization” session was one of the two

Side Events

NEDO Moonshot R&D Program Symposium“Future Prospect for Direct Air Capture and CO2 Utilization”

ICEF technology sessions that covered solutions to eliminate supply-demand mismatches throughIn recent years, Direct Air Capture (DAC) has been drawing attention as an important technology

digital technologies and optimal management.

to capture CO2 from the atmosphere as we aim for carbon neutrality. In 2020, NEDO started

This session forecasted how the popularization of digital technologies will change society andtechnology development projects for DAC and CO2 utilization within the Moonshot Research andexpand digital businesses, as well as discussing how such changes may impact energy demand

Development Program.

and our ability to achieve our carbon neutral (CN) targets.

In this symposium, we discussed how DAC can be widely adopted in the future and delved into theopportunities and challenges of new technologies, focusing on technologies being developed in

Natalie Samovich (Moderator)

NEDO’s Moonshot R&D projects.

MCPV co-founder, Resilient Group;
Head of Research and Innovation, Enercoutim

YAMADA Hiroyuki (Moderator)
Antonello Monti (Speaker)

Professor, E.ON Energy Research Center, RWTHAACHEN
University

Kari Dahlgren (Speaker)

Research Fellow, Emerging Technologies Research Lab,
Monash University

SUGIBAYASHI Tadahiko (Speaker)

Director General, Frontier and Moonshot Technology Department,
New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)

Areti Ntaradimou (Speaker)

YAMAJI Kenji (Moderator)
Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) Steering Committee;
President/Director-General, Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE);
Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo

Co-Founder/CEO, Nanobridge Semiconductor, Inc.

Editor, Smart Energy International

Graciela Chichilnisky (Speaker)

Keynotes
Keynote 1

Dialogue between Dr. Fatih Birol (IEA Executive Director) and
Mr. TANAKA Nobuo (ICEF Chair)

Co-Founder & CEO, Global Thermostat;
Professor of Economics and Mathematical Statistics,
Columbia University;
Director of the Columbia Consortium for Risk Management,
Columbia University

KATO Souichiro (Speaker)

Senior Researcher, Bioproduction Research Institute,
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science andTechnology (AIST)

Video Message from Mr. Michael Bloomberg（Interview by Mr. TANAKA Nobuo (ICEF Chair))

11 ICEF 2021 Report

KODAMA Akio (Speaker)
Professor, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of
Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University

SUGIYAMA Masakazu (Speaker)

NOGUCHI Takafumi (Speaker)
Professor, Department of Architecture, Graduate School ofEngineering, The University of TokyoNORINAGA Koyo (Speaker)

FUKUSHIMA Yasuhiro (Speaker)
Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering,
Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University

Professor, Research Center for Advanced Science andTechnology, The University of Tokyo

Keynote 2

Gregory Nemet (Speaker)
Professor of Public Affairs, La Follette School of Public Affairs,
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Director, Institute of Materials Innovation (i-MI),
Nagoya University

FUJIKAWA Shigenori (Speaker)
Distinguished Professor, International Institute for Carbon
Neutral Energy Research, Kyushu University;
Director, Research Center for Negative Emissions
Technologies, Kyushu University

ICEF 2021 Report 12

2021 Innovation for Cool Ear th Forum2021 Innovation for Cool Ear th Forum

Closing Session
Side Events

The co-hosted event by UNIDO“Achieving global carbon neutrality– collaboration with developing and emerging nations”

In recent years, many countries (including Japan, US, and those in the EU) have initiated concretemeasures to achieve “carbon neutrality by 2050.” Being the leader among emerging economies, in2020 the Chinese Government announced their intent to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.
However, as Non-Annex 1 Countries (listed under the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change) produce 60% of the global CO2 emissions, urgent measures are required in thesecountries to achieve carbon neutrality worldwide. Making this a challenge is the fact that energy
access is still a problem in many of these countries, so more needs to be done to address this issue
in order to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Against this backdrop, this session provided a platform for government, industry, and academia

❶

❷

❸

❹

stakeholders from developing and emerging nations to facilitate constructive discussions on thechallenges and opportunities in achieving global carbon neutrality.
YASUNAGA Yuko (Moderator)
Head, Investment and Technology Promotion Office, Tokyo,
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)OKI Taikan (Speaker)
Former Senior Vice-Rector, United Nations University;
Professor at Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo

Valli Moosa (Speaker)
Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) Steering Committee;
Head of the South African Presidential Climate Change
Coordinating Commission;
Former President of the International Union for Conservationof Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)

Lin Xu (Speaker)
Chairman of the China-U.S. Green Fund

Wolfgang Niedermark (Speaker)

Director of Research & Development and Industrial Integration,
Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN)

Member of the Executive Board,
Federation of German Industries (BDI)Clara Landeiro (Speaker)

Asia-Pacific Manager,
Climate Technology Centre & Network (CTCN)

Hicham Bouzekri (Speaker)❶ Remarks
ISHIZUKA Hiroaki
Chairman, New Energy and Industrial Technology
Development Organization (NEDO)YOSHINO Akira (Speaker)
Director, Global Zero Emission Research Center (GZR),
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science andTechnology (AIST)❷ Roadmap Announcement
David Sandalow
Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) Steering Committee;
Inaugural Fellow, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University;
Co-Director, Energy and Environment Concentration, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University❸ Statement from the Steering Committee
YAMAJI Kenji
Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) Steering Committee;
President/Director-General, Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE);
Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo❹ Final Thoughts on the Event
TANAKA Nobuo
Chair, Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) Steering Committee;
Former Executive Director, International Energy Agency (IEA)

13 ICEF 2021 Report

ICEF 2021 Report 14

2021 Innovation for Cool Ear th Forum2021 Innovation for Cool Ear th Forum

Statement
ICEF 2021 Statement from the Steering Committee

October 7, 2021

The eighth annual meeting of the Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF 2021) was held online on
October 6 and 7, 2021 (https://www.icef.go.jp/) as an initiative of "Tokyo ‘Beyond-Zero’ Week 2021,"
a series of eight conferences that deal with a wide range of energy and environmental issues. Morethan 2,000 people from governments, international organizations, industry, and academia
participated in this online event, representing 87 countries and regions. As a result, ICEF 2021 isreleasing the following statement based on a series of discussions under the main theme of"Pathways to Carbon Neutrality by 2050: Accelerating the pace of global decarbonization."

1. Necessity of Realistic Discussions
More than 120 countries have declared their intent of achieving carbon neutrality so far. ICEF
welcomes this trend of nation-led decarbonization. Yet, according to the IEA, carbon dioxide
emissions temporarily dropped in 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but they havebegun to increase again. The ambitious goals can only be achieved through policy, socio-economic
and behavioral change as well as green innovations. We need many more in-depth discussions onwhat technologies should be introduced in order to realize carbon neutrality, how they should be
integrated into industry and society, and in what time frame. Making it happen would also require
efforts to change the mindset of companies and individuals, and innovation in government policies.

2. A Variety of Pathways
Economic structures and natural environments vary among different countries and regions, and theenergy supply and demand systems affected by them are accordingly diverse. For this reason,
realizing the policies and energy mixes appropriate for each country is crucial, and the timing ofachieving carbon neutrality may differ depending on the country and region. Therefore,
international cooperation needs to be promoted in way that it would be mutually beneficial, basedon this understanding of national or regional differences. In this regard, developed countries haveimportant roles to play in supporting developing countries. In the civil society, nobody must be left
behind in achieving carbon neutrality.

We have been discussing various technological fields that play pivotal roles in the pathways tocarbon neutrality, such as renewables and hydrogen. ICEF 2021 focused on five specific technology
areas among them, i.e. digital technologies, energy system integration, nuclear power, foodsystems, and negative emission technologies, and discussed their challenges and possibilities.
- Two fields, digital technologies and energy system integration are strongly related in the carbon
neutral society. “Green by digital” has significant potential as a game-changer for both energy
management systems and services in the short- and long-term. At the same time, “green ofdigital” such as semi-conductors to reduce energy demand is required. Energy system
integration, with advancement of technologies for sector coupling which interconnect various
energy carriers and sectors, can optimize the society-wide energy supply and demand.
- Nuclear energy will also play a role with the development of innovative technologies for existing
and future reactors; inter alia, flexible advanced nuclear reactors such as small modular reactors(SMRs) are getting attention.
- Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from food systems can be mitigated by technologies andprocedural changes in production-distribution as well as agriculture with information andcommunication technologies (ICT), and in the long-term, consumer’s eating behaviors will also
have large impact.
- Negative emission technologies, i.e. direct air carbon dioxide capture and storage (DACCS),
biomass carbon removal and storage (BiCRS) and carbon mineralization, will be essential in orderto neutralize GHG emissions in the hard-to-abate sectors, thus requiring continuous investment
to reduce cost of these technologies. The need to research cost and benefits, and associated risksof geo-engineering was also pointed out.

4. In Closing
ICEF 2021 invited the younger generation, who will play a central role in the society of 2050, to thediscussions. The intent was to highlight cross-generational dialogue and inclusion to take the next
step in better understanding the different perspectives. ICEF will continue to welcome theparticipation of the younger generation in its discussions to encourage the involvement of diverse
stakeholders.
By continuing these activities, we hope that realistic discussions will become further widespreadtoward the realization of carbon neutrality.

3. Roles of Innovation
Keeping in mind the importance of 1 and 2 above, ICEF 2021 discussed innovation in both technology
and society in the short and long-time frames that will lead to practical pathways to achieve carbon
neutrality.
We will need to accelerate multi-facet innovations, i.e. policy, business and behavior. The government will
be required to go beyond conventional energy and environmental policies to encourage game changes
and paradigm shifts in the private sector. Private sector actors are responsible not only for creating
technologies, products and services, but also for taking action to transform the entire supply chain andguide the transformation of the industrial structure. People’s awareness as well as behavioral change isrequired to achieve carbon neutrality. It is encouraging to see many visible and innovative trends in eachcategory, which is mutually interrelated. Every stakeholder must take action to achieve carbon neutrality.
15 ICEF 2021 Report

ICEF 2021 Report 16

2021 Innovation for Cool Ear th Forum2021 Innovation for Cool Ear th Forum

Innovation Cases"Innovation Cases" is an activity to introduce the latest cases of technology development
and diffusion which are expected to contribute to climate change in the fields of energy andenvironment. The activity helps us to understand the state and trends of innovations, andalso provides useful information for creating new innovations in the fields of energy andenvironment.

Category

Energy System Integration“HySTRA,”developing technologies
for liquefied hydrogen
supply chain
Organization

Sustainable Food System for 2050

“Farmlogs LITE,”a farm management
softwarewith satellite data
Source : Farmlogs
Organization

Farmlogs

Sustainable Food System for 2050

“Foodly,”a humanoid
collaborative robot
in food factory
Source : RT Corporation
Organization

RT Corporation

Foodly is a dual-armed humanoid robot which isdeveloped and produced by RT Corporation.
With the AI Vision System utilizing deep learning, Foodly
can recognize and pick bulked foods one by one thenarrange them on the lunch box.
And the robot also can work safely next to each other on
the same belt conveyor line as people.
Now some units of Foodly are being tested in several
food factories in Europe and Japan.

17 ICEF 2021 Report“OLIO,”a mobile app forfood-sharing
aiming to reducefood waste

Category

OLIO

Energy System Integration“Next Pool,”
10,000 units aggregatedin Virtual
Power Plant by
Next Kraftwerke
Organization“NuScale,”emission-free & flexibility
with safety &cost competitivenessSource : NuScale Power
Organization

NuScale Power

NuScale is a small modular reactor (SMR) with 77MWe
capacity for each reactor module. The modules can beincorporated in a multi-module nuclear power plant.
The simple design eliminates reactor coolant pumps,
large bore piping and other systems and components
found in large conventional reactors.
Modules safely shut down and self-cool, indefinitely, withno need for AC or DC power, operator or computer
action, or additional water.

Source : OLIO

The application helps people share food by connecting
those with surplus food to those who need or wish to
consume such food. And those donating surplus foodcan be individuals or companies such as food retailers,
restaurants, corporate canteens.
The application was first launched in 2015 and it has 5
million users in over 59 countries as of August 2021.
Portions of food have been shared on OLIO are alreadyabout 25 million and the environmental impact of the
portions is equivalent to taking over 80 million car miles
off the road and 4 billion liters of water saved.
Category

HySTRAHySTRA is working towards creating a CO2 free hydrogenenergy supply chain comprised of hydrogen production
effectively utilizing brown coal, transportation, storage
and utilization of hydrogen, and establishing anddemonstrating the technologies to commercialize thesupply chain around 2030.

Sustainable Food System for 2050

Organization“Farmlogs LITE” provide advises to farmers on theappropriate amount of crops to be planted and the rightamount of fertilizer to used according to soil conditions
by analyzing soil/crop conditions collected from satellite
images and comparing it with accumulated data.
Initially, only data from the National Weather Service andthe U.S. Department Of Agriculture was used, but now
more accurate data analysis is possible by combining itwith satellite images.

Category

Category

Nuclear Power as a Power Source
for Decarbonization

Source : HySTRA

This year, 10 notable innovation cases related to each technology session were introduced.

Category

Category

Source : Next Kraftwerke

Nuclear Power as a Power Source
for Decarbonization“HTGR,”
H2 production
with superiorsafety nuclear reactor

Category

Negative Emission Technologies“Orca,”
The world’s largest
climate-positive
direct air capture plant

Source : Japan Atomic
Energy Agency (JAEA)

Organization

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA)HTGR (High-temperature gas-cooled reactor) shuts down
and cools core in case of the black-out accident without
any equipment or operator actions.
HTGR can supply up to 950℃ of heat, which can be usedfor various applications such as H2 Production, highefficient power generation. IS process (thermochemical
water-splitting H2 production) can directly harness theheat from HTGR, which offers a large hydrogen supply
and maximum energy security.

Source : Climeworks

Organization

Climeworks

The Orca plant in Iceland is the world’s largest plant
capturing CO2 from air launched by Climeworks with
Icelandic carbon storage firm ’Carbfix’.
The plant consists of eight large containers similar inlooks to those used in the shipping industry, which
employ high-tech filters and fans to extract carbon
dioxide.
The plant sucks out up to 4,000 tons of CO2 per year
which is the equivalent of the annual emissions fromabout 790 cars.

Next Kraftwerke

The VPP (Next Pool) built in November 2020 has reached10,000 units.
Next Kraftwerke digitally aggregates distributed powersources from renewable energy owned by consumers via
the gateway Next Box, and sells the aggregated powerwith added value in the trading market.

ICEF 2021 Report 18

2021 Innovation for Cool Ear th Forum2021 Innovation for Cool Ear th Forum

Roadmap Projects
Category

Digital Technology to achieve Efficiency
and Decarbonization“Project Natick,”
An underwater
datacenter which isreliable,practical andsustainable
Organization

Source : Microsoft

Microsoft

In 2018, a data center was set up on the seabed at a depthof 35 meters, and tested for two years, demonstratingthat it consumes less energy, generates less waste,consumes less fresh water, and experiences fewer
failures.
It was also shown to be less prone to failure and morereliable than onshore.

Category

Digital Technology to achieve Efficiency
and Decarbonization“Metron-EVA,”
AI-drivenenergy management
platformto help manufacturers
realize Industry 4.0
Organization

ICEF develops roadmaps on how key innovative technologies can contribute to a transition
to clean energy. At the ICEF 2021 side event, the draft version of the roadmap on Carbon
Mineralization Roadmap was presented.
The ICEF Carbon Mineralization Roadmap explores the potential for carbon mineralization
to contribute to net zero emissions by mid-century. The roadmap provides a primer on the

Source : METRONMETRON

Metron-EVA is an AI-driven energy management
platform that helps manufacturers to optimize energy
consumption in factories, to cut costs and reduce theirenvironmental footprint.
The solution combines the use of big data, artificial
intelligence and the expertise of our energy engineers toallow customers visualize energy usage.

science of carbon mineralization; explores strategies for using carbon mineralization toremove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere; sets forth priority research anddevelopment needs; examines policies for promoting the use of carbon mineralization tocontribute to climate mitigation; compares carbon mineralization to direct air capture; andoffers findings and recommendations.
The draft was released for public comments in addition to the discussion at ICEF 2021. After
revision to reflect the comments, the definitive version is to be presented at COP26.
David Sandalow (Moderator)
Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) Steering Committee;
Inaugural Fellow, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University;
Co-Director, Energy and Environment Concentration, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
S. Julio Friedmann (Speaker)
Senior Research Scholar, Center for Global Energy Policy, Columbia University

Roger Aines (Speaker)
Chief Scientist, Energy and Homeland Security Program (E Program) Global Security,
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Peter Kelemen (Speaker)
Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University

Briana Schmidt (Speaker)
Staff Scientist, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Colin McCormick (Speaker)
Adjunct Associate Professor, Science, Technology and International Affairs,
Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University

Ian M. Power (Speaker)
Assistant Professor, Trent School of the Environment, Trent University

Sasha Wilson (Speaker)
19 ICEF 2021 Report

Associate Professor & Canada Research Chair in Biogeochemistry of Sustainable Mineral Resources,
Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta

ICEF 2021 Report 20

2021 Innovation for Cool Ear th Forum

Steering Committee Members

21 ICEF 2021 Report

Messages from Co-Hosts

TANAKA Nobuo (Chair)

Sally M. Benson

Chair, Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF)
Steering Committee;
Former Executive Director,
International Energy Agency (IEA)
Japan

Professor,
Department of Energy Resources Engineering, School of Earth,
Energy & Environmental Sciences, Stanford University;
Former Co-Director,
Precourt Institute for Energy, Stanford University
United States

Georg Erdmann

Eija-Riitta Korhola

Retired Professor for Energy Systems,
Berlin University of Technology;
President of the Board, KSB Energie AG, Berlin
Germany

Delegate of the Consultative Commission
on Industrial Change;
Advisor in the EU Affairs
Finland

KURODA Reiko

Hoesung Lee

Designated Professor,
Frontier Research Institute, Chubu University;
Professor Emeritus,
The University of Tokyo
Japan

Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC);
Endowed Chair Professor, Graduate School of Energy
and Environment, Korea University
Republic of Korea

Richard K. Lester

Jon Moore

Associate Provost,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
United States

2021 Innovation for Cool Ear th Forum

Chief Executive Officer,
BloombergNEF
United Kingdom

Valli Moosa

Nebojsa Nakicenovic

Head of the South African Presidential Climate Change
Coordinating Commission;
Former President of the International Union forConservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)
Republic of South Africa

Executive Director, The World in 2050 (TWI2050);
Emeritus Scholar, International Institute for Applied
Systems Analysis (IIASA)
Austria

David Sandalow

Ismail Serageldin

Inaugural Fellow, Center on Global Energy Policy,
Columbia University;
Co-Director, Energy andEnvironment Concentration,
School of International and Public Affairs,
Columbia University
United States

Emeritus Librarian of Alexandria;
Founding Director of the Library of Alexandria
Egypt

Vaclav Smil

Laurence Tubiana

Distinguished Professor Emeritus,
University of Manitoba
CanadaCEO, European Climate Foundation;
Chair of the Board of Governors,
French Development Agency (AFD);
Professor, Sciences Po Paris
FranceYAMAJI Kenji

YASUI Itaru

President/Director-General,
Research Institute of Innovative Technology
for the Earth (RITE);
Professor Emeritus,
The University of TokyoJapan

Honorary Adviser, National Institute of Technology and
Evaluation (NITE);
Emeritus Professor, The University of Tokyo;
Honorary Adviser, Institute for Promoting Sustainable
Societies
Japan

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

SUZUKI Hiroshi

Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs

Looking ahead to the COP26 in this fall, as momentum grows for the international society to work together
to promote the decarbonization of the world, I would like to express my sincere congratulations to theholding of this year’s ICEF which is a valuable opportunity for leaders from industry, government, andacademia to gather and engage in state-of-the-art discussions on innovation, including perspectives from government,
business, and individuals.
In this year, Japan established the frameworks for cooperation on climate change with the United States, the European Union
and Australia, respectively, and promoting innovation is one of the main pillars in all of those frameworks. I believe that it isimportant to pursue sustainable development and to address climate change issue on a global scale by creating the virtuous
cycle of the economy and the environment, by utilizing Japan’s technology.
Japan will continue to endeavor for the advancement of the world in cooperation with you by making use of various channel
with other countries

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

YANAGI Takashi

Senior Deputy Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), as the co-hosting government agency,
would like to congratulate the leaders of industry, academia, and government for holding the ICEF to discuss theissue of climate change in the midst of a severe situation in the world due to the raging new coronavirus infection.
In recent years, there have been many extreme weather events and disasters both in Japan and abroad, and there are concerns thatthese events will become more frequent and severe due to global warming. Climate change is not only a matter of scientific interestfor climate scientists, but is also a top priority for the international community. MEXT is committed to supporting the resolution ofclimate change issues through the promotion of research and development in the field of environment and energy.

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

ARAI Yutaka

Vice-Minister for International Affairs

On behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), I would like to express my deep
appreciation and respect for the theme of "Sustainable Food Systems for 2050" being taken up in a timely
fashion as a topic of discussion at ICEF this year as interest in the food system is growing on a global scale.
In May this year, MAFF formulated the "Strategy for Sustainable Food Systems, MeaDRI (Measures for achievement ofDecarbonization and Resilience with Innovation)" to enhance productivity potentials and ensure sustainability in acompatible manner of the food, agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries through innovation.
We will continue to strive for the realization of carbon neutrality by 2050 through the establishment of a sustainable foodsystem suitable for Japan, including the realization of zero CO2 emissions from the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors, andthe drastic reduction of chemical pesticides and fertilizers.

Ministry of the Environment

SHODA Yutaka

Vice-Minister for Global Environmental Affairs

COP26 will be held at the end of the month. It is essential that countries increase their 2030 climate ambition
to meet the Paris Agreement objective of achieving global decarbonization as early as possible. Anotherrequirement is to finalize the rules for implementing the Paris Agreement. This summit will determine ourshift from the “negotiation” phase to the “implementation” phase.
Along with the rules for implementing the Paris Agreement, technological innovations are crucial to achieve global
decarbonization. I sincerely hope that this 8th ICEF will provide an opportunity to gather international knowledge toaccelerate the pace of global decarbonization.
ICEF 2021 Report 22