X-MINING What Does Being Carbon Neutral Mean? Exploring Its Significance and Initiatives

Many of you may have heard of the term “carbon neutral” but might not fully understand it. Carbon neutral is an important concept to protect and maintain the comfortable environment on our planet.
In this article, we’ll explain what carbon neutral is, why it’s important worldwide and in Japan, and the initiatives being undertaken.

Achieving carbon neutrality means reducing net emissions to zero by balancing emitted greenhouse gases with an equivalent amount of absorption or removal.

Greenhouse gases, such as CO2 (carbon dioxide), methane, and CFCs, significantly affect global warming.

These greenhouse gases absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat, in the form of infrared rays. Therefore, if greenhouse gas emissions increase, the amount of infrared rays absorbed and re-emitted will also increase, causing the atmosphere near the ground surface to become warmer, leading to global warming.

Reducing substantial greenhouse gas emissions to zero through carbon neutral is a very important initiative because it leads to the prevention of global warming.

A term related to carbon neutrality is “carbon offset,” which refers to making up for CO2 discharged in daily life and economic activities by first striving to reduce emissions as much as possible and then absorbing them through forest conservation and afforestation and investing and donating to activities aimed at reducing CO2.

Viewing carbon neutrality as an advancement of the carbon offset concept is beneficial.

There are various moves not only in Japan but also around the world toward the realization of carbon neutral. Here, we will explain specific movements toward the realization of carbon neutrality.

International Developments

The Paris Agreement is one of the leading international moves toward the realization of carbon neutrality.

Succeeding the 1997 Kyoto Protocol adopted in 1997, the Paris Agreement was agreed at the 2015 Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (commonly known as COP). This year’s COP was held in Paris, France, so it is named the Paris Agreement.

Key Provisions of the Paris Agreement:

Activation Requirements

• Participation from over 55 countries
• Covering more than 55% of global emissions.

Long-term Goals:

• Limit global warming to below 2℃, aiming for 1.5℃, and balance emissions with absorption by forests and other means by the latter half of the 21st century.
• Each country has its own targets for 2030 to reduce emissions.

The following targets are also set for each country.

<Targets for each country in 2030>

Reference: Japanese Emission Reduction Targets|Ministry of Foreign Affairs

So, what kind of efforts are being made in Japan to achieve the goals?

Let’s take a look at the next item together.

Initiatives in Japan

Japan is committed to carbon neutrality, implementing strategies such as the Green Growth Strategy, regional decarbonization roadmaps, and updates to environmental laws, focusing on a sustainable economic-environmental cycle.

1. The Green Growth Strategy

The Green Growth Strategy is officially called the Green Growth Strategy with 2050 Carbon Neutral. In order to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050, it is an industrial policy to create a “virtuous cycle of economy and environment.” It was announced in December 2020.

The government needs to transform its energy and industrial structure and promote innovation through bold investment as a path to achieving 2050 carbon neutrality. To this end, we decided to mobilize a total of policy tools, including budgets, taxes, regulations and standardization, and private financial guidance.

Of these, the following 14 fields are expected to grow in the future, and our policy is to focus on these areas.

<Energy-related industries>

• Offshore wind, solar and geothermal industries (next-generation renewable energy)
• Hydrogen and fuel ammonia industry
• Next-generation thermal energy industry
• Nuclear power industry

<Transportation and manufacturing-related industries>

• Automobile and battery industries
• Semiconductor and ICT industries
• Ship industry
• Logistics, human resources and civil engineering infrastructure industries
• Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
• Aircraft industry
• Carbon recycling and material industry

<Household and office-related industries>

• Housing and building industries and the next-generation power management industry
• Resource recycling-related industries
• Lifestyle-related industries

2. Regional decarbonization roadmap

The regional decarbonization roadmap was compiled to realize “decarbonization”, which is indispensable to carbon neutrality, at the same time as regional creation.

To achieve the 2050 carbon neutral target, the national and local governments need to work together. The roadmap outlines the processes and specific measures for decarbonization, which are focused on rural areas, especially by 2030.

Specifically, local governments, local businesses, citizens, and other stakeholders in each region take the lead in making the most of regional resources, including renewable energy, by utilizing existing technologies. Through these efforts, we are able to eliminate carbon and solve regional issues by circulating the economy and improving the quality of life.

3. Revised Law Concerning the Promotion of the Measures to Cope with Global Warming

The revised Law Concerning the Promotion of the Measures to Cope with Global Warming is a law that aims to realize carbon neutrality, and it specifies the realization of carbon neutrality by 2050.

The Law Concerning the Promotion of the Measures to Cope with Global Warming was enacted in 1998 as the first step to combat global warming. Subsequently, certain revisions were made in May 2021.

There are several backgrounds for the revision. First, the Paris Agreement and the 2050 Carbon Neutral Declaration led to the establishment of a new basic philosophy.

In addition, since carbon neutrality requires decarbonization using regional renewable energy, a plan and certification system has been established to promote such efforts.

In addition, the digitization and open data of carbon emission by companies are promoted, and the visualization is realized. Amendments have been made to promote corporate initiatives.

Specific Initiatives for Carbon Neutral

Let us now look at more specific initiatives aimed at realizing carbon neutrality.

1. Use of renewable energy

The government formulated the Sixth Basic Energy Plan and announced a target to increase the share of renewable energy to 36-38% by 2030.

Thermal power generation, which burns coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels to produce electricity, emits CO2.

Solar, wind, biomass, and other renewable energies are attracting attention as alternative energies to eliminate or reduce CO2 emissions. Since none of these renewable energies increases CO2, it is recommended that they be actively utilized.

2. Installation of energy saving equipment

In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, energy-saving equipment is being introduced in factories, offices, houses, and public facilities.

More specifically, the number of ZEH (net-zero energy houses) equipped with high-efficiency facilities and solar power generation-like energy-creating systems, and LCCM (life-cycle carbon-negative) houses that conserve CO2 during construction and demolition are increasing.

3. Promotion of afforestation projects

Rather than reducing greenhouse gas emissions, this initiative aims to achieve carbon neutrality by increasing absorption.

By planting trees that absorb CO2 and conserving forests, we aim to boost greenhouse gas removals.

Sumitomo Metal Mining is also striving to contribute to the realization of carbon neutrality through its proprietary products.

For instance, we’ve collaborated on creating heat-shielding nets for agriculture that improve crop yields without additional energy or water usage.

Near-infrared Absorbing Materials for Low Carbon Load Products

Sumitomo Metal Mining’s Near-Infrared Absorbing Material SOLAMENT™* and LaB6 are inorganic materials that contribute to energy-saving effects. They have both a high transmittance of visible light and a strong absorbing ability of near-infrared light, and can convert near-infrared light into heat and block near-infrared light.

The use of near-infrared absorbing materials prevents temperature rises and creates comfortable spaces with energy conservation. This will also contribute to carbon neutral.

*SOLAMENT™ is a material technology brand made from CWO™, nanoscale particles that have the unique ability to absorb NIR, invented by Sumitomo Metal Mining Co.,Ltd. and are covered by patents and trademarks in both Japan and internationally.

More details about our Near-Infrared Absorbing Materials

Examples of use of near-infrared absorbing materials

Near-infrared absorbing materials are used in automotive window films and car ports, as well as windows and heat-shielding films in houses.

For example, windows use near-infrared light-absorbing materials to control the temperature rise in the room caused by sunlight, thereby contributing to a reduction in the cooling load.

In addition, light can be converted to heat at high efficiency and speed, and it can be heated by applying it as heat-generating fibers and quick-dry fibers.

Rare earth magnet materials

Rare earth magnet materials are made from rare earth. Sumitomo Metal Mining’s Rare Earth Magnetic Material “Wellmax” is made from samarium (Sm), an element that is limited in use and has a surplus in rare earth.

Magnetic materials that are more resistant to rust than common rare-earth bonded magnetic materials that use neodymium (Nd) and have properties equal to or greater than those. In addition, it has features such as “it can reduce the weight of the magnet by about 30%” and “it suppresses the eddy current generation in the magnet”, and it is widely used from information communication and audio equipment to home electric appliances, industrial equipment, and automotive applications.

More details about our Magnet Materials

Possibility of rare earth magnet materials

Sumitomo Metal Mining’s Rare Earth Magnetic Material Wellmax has been widely used, and in recent years it has attracted attention as a motor for automobiles.

For EVs, improving the functionality of installed motors is crucial due to recharging issues. Wellmax’s samarium-iron-nitrogen magnets have the potential to solve these problems.

Samarium Iron Nitrogen Magnets Help Reduce Motor Size and Weight. In addition, because it is resistant to rust, it can be used without painting organic solvents that place a burden on the environment.

For more information on the miniaturization of motors using the rare earth magnet Wellmax, please take a look at X-TALK.

Dialogue: Miniaturization of motors and of the possibility of SmFeN magnetics using rare earth samarium

In this article, we introduced the outline and importance of carbon neutral, global and Japanese developments, and specific initiatives.

Carbon neutral refers to efforts to eliminate substantial emissions by absorbing and removing greenhouse gases. It is very important to stop global warming and protect a comfortable environment.

The key to achieving carbon neutral is the behavior of each individual. In addition, it is equally important for organizations, such as companies, to work toward achieving carbon neutral.

Our near-infrared absorbing materials are low-carbon products and contribute significantly to the realization of carbon neutral. Utilization is diverse, including automotive window films, car ports, building windows, and heat shielding nets.

For example, Aotenjo, a highly functional heat shield net made by Noto Shichi Co., Ltd., a textile manufacturer in Kahoku City, Ishikawa Prefecture, is one example of our co-creation using near-infrared radiation absorbing materials. By kneading Near-Infrared Absorbing Materials SOLAMENT™ into the vinyl material of an agricultural greenhouse, we have realized an agricultural greenhouse that cuts only the light, which causes a rise in room temperature, while transmitting light necessary for photosynthesis of crops and light that can be recognized by the human eye.

For actual use examples, please refer to the details below.

Dialogue: Changing agricultural vinyl houses. To reduce temperature when developing a heat shield sheet using SOLAMENT™

If you have any question, please feel free to contact us.