About Carbon Neutral Promotion Center

Greetings

Realization of Activities towards a Carbon Neutral Society by building on University Knowledge

Activities for a sustainable environment towards the realization of a carbon neutral society are indispensable. In the future as well, our university will foster activities to promote our knowledge towards this goal. Let me introduce our past activities and the outline of our vision towards 2050 (FU Carbon Neutral Promotion Basic Policy 2021).

From July 2021, Fukuoka University (FU) joined the「University Coalition for Carbon Neutrality」established by MEXT through the strengthening of partnerships with the central government, companies, domestic and foreign universities to become a focus of carbon neutral promotion. Subsequently, the [FU Carbon Neutral Promotion Basic Policy 2021] was created in August of 2021. Then in April of 2022, the FU Carbon Neutral Promotion Center was established.

Fukuoka University carbon neutral promotion includes building a carbon neutral campus, promoting research, human resource development and regional partnerships from a diverse organizational stance. Thus, the Center created five teams – Carbon Neutral Campus, Research Promotion, Human Resources Development, Regional Partnerships and International Partnerships whose action plans will support the spread of carbon neutral activities based on the three goals below:

1. Utilize university technology to contribute to an innovative socio-economic system.
2. Foster a carbon neutral campus where human resources take on new social challenges along with companies, local entities along with students and local citizens.
3. Create a region where social challenges are addressed in a flexible and resilient way through the expanded use of renewable energy including hydrogen.

Our university plans to raise faculty awareness about carbon neutrality while focusing on the development of a carbon neutral campus and playing a leading role in this area for a sustainable and resilient region. Our campus as a testing place for the implementation in society of carbon neutral and local 5G technology can contribute university technology through collaborations with industry, government and academia.

Next, FU is forming a framework which brings together students and faculty through ties across all faculties for human resources with problem solving capacities from an overall perspective for a carbon neutral society including various activities. While fostering university developed ventures, solutions to unforeseen challenges will be tackled. From this perspective, through dynamic collaborations not only with companies and local authorities but also with foreign universities and international organizations, FU aims to improve our university’s roles and functions.

Importantly, while adopting SDGs in 2015 and agreeing with the Paris Agreement, Fukuoka University has been positively integrating these ideas at our institution. Our nine faculties are developing human resources to carry out the 17 SDG objectives.

Finally, our university will contribute even more than before to the prosperity of regional society by strengthening our approach to pressing carbon neutral challenges while bringing together our intellectual property and general knowledge towards this objective.

Fukuoka University Carbon Neutral Promotion Basic Policy

Foster a carbon free campus

Foster a carbon free campus where students and local citizens can relax and regional entities and businesses can cooperate towards the training of human resources to address the new challenges of society.

Generate a flexible and resilient community

Address society’s challenges and generate flexible and resilient community approaches while expanding the use of hydrogen and renewable energy.

Contribute to an innovative socio-economic system

Utilize university technology to contribute to an innovative socio-economic system.

Action Plan

Global Engagement

Fukuoka University through innovative international partnerships fosters human development for a bright carbon neutral future. Increased global engagement through collaborations with foreign universities,organizations and networks to promote sustainability and carbon neutrality is a key objective of our Carbon Neutral Promotion Center.

FU CN Activities Summary

Fukuoka University Carbon Neutral Promotion Center aims to play a leading role towards a carbon neutral society by raising awareness of faculty who will aim for a carbon neutral campus. Our campus will introduce technology to society through industrial, government and academic collaboration through practical experiments to implement local 5G and carbon neutral technology. The university will also foster ventures and resolution of unknown challenges by creating unison across all faculties for human resources development towards problem solving of social issues and a capacity to grasp broader perspectives. Fukuoka University not only aims for partnerships with business and local authorities but also with international organizations and overseas universities to improve its roles and functions. For these reasons, FU Carbon Neutral Promotion Center established five teams with respective roles who proactively work towards a carbon neutral society.

Fukuoka University CN Teams Key Directions

Carbon Neutral Campus Team

Work towards a carbon neutral campus through energy conservation.
FU aims to reduce by 2030 46% of its greenhouse gases.

• Towards 2050 Carbon Neutral Campus Goals, increase FU university conservation policies, the generation of energy and introduce positively low carbon use buildings.
• Suppress the Heat Island Phenomenon campus effect by creating a long-term general plan
• FU campus greenification
• Solar Paneling installation
• On campus signage about FU carbon neutral data and trends

Carbon Neutral Research Team

• Disseminate information about university research results.
• Strongly support carbon neutral related research
  • renewable energy utilization
  • green fuel
  • recycling of resources
  • green industrial policy
  • green ICT
  • Smart Cities

Presently, some of the collaborations between industry and FU concerning carbon neutrality include:

1. Hydrogen & Evaluation of Adaptable Materials
2. Ammonia Electrolytic Synthesis
3. Low Carbon Concrete

※See Carbon Neutral Research Project Power Point for further information.

Regional Partnerships Team

Create linkages with companies and organizations to meet different challenges concerning CN.

Presently, there are three areas of focus:

Human Resources Team

Foster green innovation through the power of young people who can then disseminate this innovation throughout the world.

• Linking systematically a wide range of carbon neutrality related knowledge to accelerate the development of human resources – education of staff and students at FU.
• Foster diverse and innovative young women teams and also invite foreign women students to join them to maximize their respective knowledge related to carbon neutrality
• Introduce in 2023 a new and systematic comprehensive course about carbon neutrality
• Publish a textbook about carbon neutrality
• Conduct many speakers’ events on campus

Carbon Neutral International Partnerships Team

• Create CN Partnership MOUs
• Start Discussion about Research and Educational Initiatives
• Promote Carbon Neutrality through CN Partnerships
• Create linkages among CN partner universities regarding research and educational Initiatives
• Create linkage between FU CN Promotion policies and CN partnership results and key areas.

FU CN Center Organizational Chart