In order to achieve carbon neutrality, which has been the subject of rapidly growing discussion both in Japan and abroad in recent years, it is necessary for all actors, including the national government, local governments, universities, and businesses, to work together in accordance with their respective positions and strengths. In particular, universities, with their mission to create scientific knowledge that will serve as the basis for national and regional policies and technological innovation, and to disseminate this knowledge, have an extremely important role to play both domestically and internationally. The function of universities in the region is becoming increasingly important, including the collaboration between universities and the region to promote regional decarbonization and to develop this model for the nation and the world.

From this perspective, under the leadership of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and the Ministry of the Environment (MOE), the “University Coalition for Carbon Neutrality” was launched on July 29, 2021, as a forum for universities and other institutions that are actively working toward carbon neutrality or considering strengthening their efforts to become so, to share information and communicate their efforts.

Specifically (1) Horizontal deployment of knowledge related to initiatives by universities and other organizations (2) Promote the social implementation of research results and research and development that meets the needs of society by strengthening cooperation with local governments, companies, etc. (3) Strengthening the ability to disseminate information domestically and internationally With the above objectives in mind, the participating universities themselves will determine the nature and policies of the University Coalition under a two-tiered structure of a general meeting where university representatives gather and theme-specific working groups where university staff, researchers, and others participate at the level of university staff, researchers, and others.

We will further enhance the functions and presence of universities and other institutions in society and contribute to the successive development of initiatives to achieve carbon neutrality from universities to the region, the nation, and the world, while bringing about positive changes in the state of society by communicating the consensus of universities and other institutions involved.