10th Annual Meeting of the Innovation for Cool Earth Forum (ICEF) Held

Overview of the conference

ICEF, an international platform established in 2014 on Japan's initiative, invites experts and leaders in different fields from all over the world to promote discussion and cooperation between academia, industry, and government officials, with the aim of solving climate change issues through energy and environment-related innovation.

The 10th meeting was held in a hybrid format over two days (October 4 and 5) as part of Tokyo GX Week, which is an intensive series of international conferences related to energy and the environment held with a view toward achieving GX (green transformation).

Mr. NISHIMURA Yasutoshi, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, delivered opening remarks at the meeting, in which he emphasized the importance of making efforts for achieving net-zero emissions, the common goal, through various pathways depending on the circumstances of individual countries. He stated that innovation is the key to solving the problems amid the various difficulties involved, and expressed his hopes for active participation in the discussions by young people, who will play the leading role in society in 2050, with ideas not bound by past ways of thinking.

The forum saw global leaders in energy and environment-related fields take the stage in 15 sessions. Among them were Dr. Noguchi Soichi, astronaut; Prof. Steven Chu, former U.S. Secretary of Energy; Mr. Jean-Eric Paquet, Ambassador of the European Union to Japan; Prof. Andrew Fire; Sir Paul Nurse; Dr. Marcia McNutt, President of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States; and Prof. Phoebe Koundouri, President of EAERE. In each plenary and technology session, people from the younger generations (young innovators) participated in the discussions. This year, the main theme was "Innovation for Just, Secure and Sustainable Global Green Transformation (GX)," and the focus was on innovation necessary for the whole world to go forward to achieve carbon neutrality despite the various difficulties involved. The topics discussed included policy innovation, the Global Stocktake, the impact of climate change on food and water resources, and nuclear fusion technology. At the welcome luncheon party, representing each ministry co-hosting the event, Mr. Hosaka Yasushi, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Yamada Taro, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Mr. Takahashi Mitsuo, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and Mr. Asahi Kentaro, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of the Environment, delivered remarks.

The ICEF Steering Committee released a statement compiling past outcomes of ICEF, measures necessary to promote GX, actions to be taken going forward, and details of the discussions at individual sessions during the forum. Additionally, a draft of the roadmap (Artificial Intelligence for Climate Change Mitigation) recommending approaches and methods for the major innovative technologies that will contribute in the short and long terms to achieving carbon neutrality was also published. The roadmap will be edited to reflect public comments, then officially announced at COP28 (the 28th UN Climate Change Conference) to be held in the UAE in December 2023.
 

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Related materials

• ICEF2023 Statement from the Steering Committee(PDF:327KB)
• ICEF2023 Roadmap on Artificial Intelligence for Climate Change Mitigation
• ICEF's Website
• ICEF's YouTube Channel

Division in Charge

International Affairs Office, Policy Planning and Coordination Division, Industrial Science, Technology and Environment Policy Bureau