Solutions for visualizing, understanding, and streamlining carbon emissions from various angles, such as business sites and products, corporate activities, and consumer behavior.
Efforts to conserve energy have been underway for several decades, but in recent years, the methods used have become more sophisticated, including AI and other technologies and billing methods based on usage. These solutions optimize energy usage.
Solutions related to batteries and hydrogen, such as electrification (EV) of mobility (means of transportation) such as cars and buses, which used to be fueled by gasoline, to reduce CO2 emissions, and to extract hydrogen for industrial use and to encourage its practical application.
Solutions related to batteries and hydrogen, such as electrification (EV) of mobility (means of transportation) such as cars and buses, which used to be fueled by gasoline, to reduce CO2 emissions, and to extract hydrogen for industrial use and to encourage its practical application.
Solutions that contribute to the fixation and absorption of CO2 in the atmosphere through forest protection and forest management, and offset the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that cannot be fully reduced through the purchase of carbon credits.
One solution is to reduce emissions in society as a whole by recycling metals, plastics, and other resources and products at various stages of economic activities.
CO2 emissions "visualization solutions" seen at the "Decarbonization Management EXPO"
Mitsui exhibited three CO2 emissions visualization solutions, "e-dash", "LCA Plus", and "Earth hacks", at the "Decarbon Management Expo Spring". Here we report on the latest trends in decarbonization management and visualization solutions that were revealed through the exhibition, along with comments from the people in charge of the solutions.
The Decarbonization Management Expo Spring, held March 15-17, 2023, was an enthusiastic exhibition that attracted approximately 60,000 visitors, more than double the number of visitors to the Fall Exhibition last September. Among them, the number of "visualization" solutions, the first step in decarbonization management, has increased significantly over the past year, and each booth was brimming with activity. Under such circumstances, the Mitsui & Co. group, as a pioneer of visualization solutions, has been providing CO2 visualization solutions "e-dash," "LCA Plus," and "Earth hacks" from three perspectives (corporate, product, and consumer) in order to meet a wide range of needs, As pioneers in the field of visualization solutions, each of the three solutions, "e-dash," "LCA Plus," and "Earth hacks," were exhibited and promoted in a distinctive and advanced manner.
e-dash" looking "beyond visualization
Continuing from the previous year, " e-dash " was exhibited under three themes: "Visualization of CO2 Emissions Achieved with e-dash," "CO2 Emissions Reduction Achieved with e-dash," and "The Most Chosen Visualization Service for Financial Institutions.
Visitors were intrigued by the convenience of "e-dash," which automatically calculates CO2 emissions per company in addition to converting monthly usage and utility bills into data simply by uploading electricity and gas bills. Through the demonstration, visitors were able to directly experience the benefits of being able to efficiently and accurately grasp CO2 emissions while eliminating the hassle of management.
The panels featured interviews with actual user companies, along with photos and comments from users, as well as information about the collaboration between the city of Suzaka in Nagano Prefecture and Hachijuni Bank to help local companies visualize their CO2 emissions using "e-dash. Many visitors stopped by the booth, which was designed in a friendly manner.
We were determined to deliver the convenience of e-dash in the form of real customer testimonials, even though there are many visualization solutions out there," said Mr. Kato. There are not many booths that have so many pictures of faces on them (laughs). We are seeing increasing interest from not only companies but also local governments, thanks in part to our work with Suzaka City. I believe that local governments and financial institutions will continue to play a central role in promoting decarbonization in the region," said Fuyuma Yamazaki, President of e-dash.
Toma Yamasaki, President and Representative Director, e-dash
In addition to visualization solutions, new services that go beyond visualization were introduced, including a new function called "Energy Conservation Statutory Periodic Reporting via e-dash," which utilizes energy data collected and stored in "e-dash" as it is, and provides one-stop service from report creation to output, the first private company in Japan to offer a J The new services that go beyond visualization were also introduced, including an online marketplace for J-credits, the first of its kind in Japan for a private company, and a service for purchasing non-fossil certificates on behalf of the company.
The event was a great opportunity to hear first-hand the needs of those interested in decarbonization and their assessment of e-dash. The two most popular features of the event were the "Energy Efficiency Report via e-dash" and the online marketplace where J-credits can be purchased. The response to the marketplace has been strong, as companies have been able to purchase and sell J-Credits. I think the strong response to the marketplace indicates that companies are beginning to look beyond visualization," said President Yamazaki.
LCA Plus" looking at standardization of visualization
LCA Plus, a platform for visualizing CO2 emissions per product, was also on display.
Upon entering the cute, curved exterior, visitors were greeted with an explanation of LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) through display panels, reasons why LCA Plus was chosen, and a demonstration space where they could touch LCA Plus. The exhibit also conveyed the reliability of LCA Plus through the fact that it was developed jointly with SuMPO, the only carbon footprint certification organization in Japan. The new service "ISO-based emission calculation result verification (endorsement)" and the call for model demonstration companies were also of great interest to many visitors.
We made it easy for people to get into our booth. Visitors to our booth include both those who are familiar with decarbonization and those who are not. Therefore, we were conscious of the flow of visitors, from easy-to-understand explanations for beginners to detailed explanations for advanced users, so that they could understand what we were talking about and then watch the demonstrations.
LCA Plus Akihiko Hasegawa
Compared to last December, when we exhibited at EcoPro 2022, more visitors wanted to see the demonstration (without the need for explanations). From that point of view, we realized that interest in decarbonization is growing and that more companies are taking emissions visualization seriously. We also felt it was necessary to firmly convey the superiority of LCA Plus amid the many new visualization solutions that are emerging." (Yurino Sakuma, LCA Plus)
LCA Plus Yurino Sakuma
Finally, we confirmed the latest developments in LCA Plus, such as its linkage and connection to Catena-X, a global information collaboration platform that is being standardized mainly in Europe; its participation as a member of the METI CFP Study Group, which is studying guidelines for calculating CO2 emissions per product; its participation in Green × Digital, which aims to link systems with other companies in the same industry; and its participation in the LCA Plus The latest trend of LCA Plus was confirmed as a move toward standardization of emissions calculation, such as
We will continue to actively engage in activities to standardize the calculation of emissions. We believe that such activities will not only revitalize the industry, but also reassure our customers. What we felt while exhibiting at this year's show was that the number of companies offering visualization solutions is increasing. This means that there is such a need, and it can be said that our efforts in releasing a platform for emissions visualization on a product-by-product basis ahead of other companies were not mistaken. On the other hand, we must firmly convey the superiority of LCA Plus among the many visualization solutions available. Through the exhibition, we will be able to explain directly to visitors and have them experience demonstrations to deepen their understanding. This was the great significance of our participation in the exhibition and gave us confidence.
Focus on "how to communicate" after visualization. Distinctive presence of "Earth hacks
The "Earth hacks" platform provides a mechanism for sei-katsu-sha to enjoy and contribute to decarbonization by disseminating information about eco-friendly products through proprietary media and SNS, holding e-commerce and marché events, introducing a new CO2 emissions reduction index called the "Decabo Score," and soliciting ideas for decarbonization through the "Decabo Challenge. Earth hacks " provides a platform for people to contribute to decarbonization while having fun. Among the many visualization solutions in the market, a visualization solution targeting consumers is rare, and attracted much attention at the "Decarbonization Management EXPO".
Panels and video commentary monitors focused on an overview of "Earth hacks" and explanations of the "Decavo Score. Products from various regions of Japan displaying the "Decavo Score" were also displayed for easy viewing and understanding.
Through the exhibition, we have seen a great progress in solutions and technologies related to decarbonization over the past year. In particular, there has been a surprising increase in solutions related to visualization. I think Earth hacks' 'Decavo Score' provides an answer to this question, but I also felt that there is a growing interest in this area," said Sumito Sekine, Earth hacks.
Earth hacks Sumihito Sekine
Earth hacks," which has strong contacts with sei-katsu-sha, is keenly aware of the gap between the senses of companies and sei-katsu-sha.
For companies, decarbonization is an urgent issue that must be addressed, but while consumers think it is important, it is not that big of a concern. This gap is surprisingly large. Sei-katsu-sha don't want to buy products and services because they are sustainable, but because they are cute, tasty, fun, and cool. If this leads to decarbonization as a result, they are even happier. On the other hand, companies seem to have the attitude of "Please buy our products even if they are expensive, because they are sustainable. I thought that the "Earth hacks" initiative, which bridges this gap, will attract more and more attention in the future. Considering that visualization has become commonplace over the past year, we may already be thinking about how to communicate with them next year" (Sumito Sekine, mentioned above).
Steady progress was being made in decarbonization efforts.
The three-day event was filled with a surprisingly high level of enthusiasm, not only for the Decarbon Management Expo, but also for the concurrent Smart Energy Week and Circular Economy Expo. Many visitors said that they will be assigned or transferred to a department related to decarbonization from this April, and the number of companies working on decarbonization is expected to increase further in the future. At the Decarbon Management Expo Spring, many exhibitors exhibited "visualization" solutions, which are the first thing that people who are working on decarbonization think about, and these attracted particular attention, but some companies were also interested in solutions that go beyond visualization. It was evident that efforts to realize a decarbonized society are making steady progress.
We have prepared some useful information related to decarbonization. We hope you will find it useful.
Recommendations for Decarbonization] Download - Green & Circular Decarbonization Solutions｜Mitsui & Co.
Download the document [Recommendations for Decarbonization], which explains why we should work on decarbonization and how to proceed.
