How will the environmental and economic concerns be changed by the transition from fossil to renewable resources?

Increasing movements toward sustainability necessitate the reduction of fossil consumption and the shift to renewable resources, including biomass. The use of biomass, a resource derived from plants and animals, is expected not only to contribute to sustainability but also to create a regional economy circulation by revitalizing the agricultural and forestry industries. We asked Dr. Yasunori Kikuchi, who is involved in evaluating products using renewable-based materials such as cellulose nanofiber (CNF), about the environmental and economic impacts of the shift from fossil resources to renewable resources.

What is the sustainable production and recycling of metal materials?

With the current requirement for social change, such as carbon neutrality, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which evaluates the environmental impact of products and services, is becoming increasingly important. However, conventional LCA methods have several challenges, such as not sufficiently taking into account the impact on society as a whole. We asked Ichiro Daigo, who is developing a new LCA method to lay the groundwork for the future of industry, about the challenges of conventional LCA, the assessment method he is developing, and what he has learned from it.

Let’s act with Life cycle assessment (LCA) in mind

In order to achieve a carbon neutral society by 2050, business activities, consumer behavior, and society need to change. Against this backdrop, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which calculates and visualizes the environmental impact of a product lifecycle from its raw material extraction to final disposal, is attracting attention as a mechanism to promote products and services with low environmental impact in society. We asked Masahiko Hirao, a leading expert on LCA, about the current status, problems, and future prospects of LCA.