Kansai Research Centre

2010, the Kansai Research Centre (KRC) has been implementing activities to promote the transfer of environmental technologies (including low-carbon and energy-saving technologies) from Japan to India in partnership with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) of India.

In 2016, with the support of the Ministry of the Environment, Japan, the Japan–India Technology Matchmaking Platform (JITMAP) was launched jointly with TERI to connect stakeholders in Japan and India effectively and further deepen collaborative activities. JITMAP is a platform that promotes the dissemination of Japanese environmental technologies and their best operating practices in India by matching Japanese companies that possess environmental technologies with Indian companies seeking to acquire such technologies.

Specifically, in states in India where industrialisation is progressing, such as Gujarat where Hyogo Prefecture has a comprehensive partnership agreement, JITMAP works with private companies and related organisations in Japan and India to promote understanding of the technology by holding workshops, providing technical training for energy auditors and conducting feasibility studies of the technology in local factories. Through these activities, we aim to improve the environment, energy efficiency and progress toward zero carbon emissions in India.

In addition, JITMAP conducts needs assessments targeting specific industrial sectors in India, exchanges opinions with Indian stakeholders and presents research results at international forums. JITMAP has also established a website to provide information on technologies, funding schemes, regulations and policies in applying environmental technologies in both countries. Additionally, it includes information on its workshops and technical training programmes and on the activities and results of the feasibility studies on applying technologies in local companies.

The Kansai Research Centre has been implementing the Hokusetsu Satoyama Regional Circulating and Ecological Sphere (Regional-CES) Project in the Hokusetsu region of Hyogo Prefecture (Takarazuka City, Kawanishi City, Inagawa Town and Sanda City), aiming to revitalise the local economy through effective use of local resources.

This project was selected by the Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ) as one of the “Platform Projects for the Creation of Regional Circulating and Ecological Sphere for Regional Revitalisation with the Environment“ in FY2019 and 2020. *1

Through exchanging views and coordinating with stakeholders, an implementation plan was developed with the following key elements: balanced work between solar power generation and agriculture (solar sharing), effective utilisation of biomass resources, establishment of regional transportation system, local production for local consumption of food, and conservation of forests and satoyama.

The effective utilisation of woody biomass, which is part of the plan, was selected by MOEJ as one of the “Projects towards Forming a Decarbonised Community Building Model to Address Various Local Challenges”*2 in FY2020 and one of the “Support Projects towards Realising a Sustainable and Resilient Local Community through Planning on Maximum Introduction of Renewable Energy and Developing Local Human Resources” in FY2021.*3　Additionally, another activity was implemented, aiming to develop a business model targeting a prefecture environmental forest (866 ha) in the Nishitani area of Takarazuka City, where approximately 2,000 tonnes per year of the roughly 100,000 tonnes of timber volume (mainly broadleaf trees) have been rotationally chipped for heat utilisation.

Implementation plans other than effectively utilising woody biomass are currently under further study to establish a comprehensive Regional-CES model.

In addition, a scoping project has been implemented for Southeast Asia to promote the Regional-CES concept and explore the potential for applying the concept to the local context in other countries in collaboration with the Asia–Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN).

The project has organised national workshops in the Asia–Pacific region. 
Website link for “Hokusetsu Satoyama CES (Hyogo pref.)”: https://hokuces.jp/
Event report for “Scoping project” promoting the Regional-CES concept to Southeast Asia:  https://www.iges.or.jp/en/events/20220217-0

*1 IGES仮訳　2019年および2020年度環境省「環境で地方を元気にする地域循環共生圏づくりプラットフォーム事業」
*2 IGES仮訳　2020年度環境省「地域の多様な課題に応える脱炭素型地域づくりモデル形成事業」
*3 IGES仮訳　2021年度環境省「再エネの最大限の導入の計画づくり及び地域人材の育成を通じた持続可能でレジリエントな地域社会実現新事業」

What actions shall be taken to achieve the target of limiting the global average temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels? What is the way forward to ensure the diffusion of renewable energy to enrich local communities? How should municipal policies, local communities and citizens change? KRC explores and supports the formulation of regional and Japanese roadmaps towards a decarbonised society, creating systems to promote and disseminate the use of renewable energy in the region. It explores means of mitigating the adverse environmental effects of entire product life cycles and raises public awareness of such issues to institute lifestyle changes. KRC aims to generate social impact by comprehensively conducting grounded research and instituting best practices rooted in the latest scientific knowledge. To achieve its environmental objectives, KRC works from research as well as practical perspectives. It primarily deploys research methods such as social surveys, GIS, economic modelling, transition theory and carbon footprint analysis. In practical terms, KRC conducts workshops, encourages networking and provides fora for environmental discussions.

We believe that “people” hold the key to success in initiatives such as developing a Regional Circulating and Ecological Sphere (Regional-CES), achieving a decarbonised society, and transitioning to a sustainable society. To realise such transition, we need to implement concrete actions not only based on analysing what kind of society or policy is effective and efficient in terms of technology and cost, but also backed by people’s discussion on what kind of society we want and what values are important.

As we look towards the next generation, we want to increase the number of young people who share our view, and encourage them to take action. To this end, the Kansai Research Centre works in collaboration with Hyogo Prefecture and Kobe University and will continue to offer workshop series tailored for high school and university students.

Network

News

JITMAP featured in a newsletter for SMEs in India: potential for introducing Japanese environmental technologies through Japan-India collaboration

The activities conducted by JITMAP in India in FY2023 were featured in the latest issue of the SAMEEEKSHA* newsletter, a platform for Indian MSMEs.
The article highlighted the outcomes of JITMAP's efforts to date, especially the two training/awareness-raising seminars held in Chennai in January 2024 (Target technologies: compressed air systems, steam management systems, and eco-friendly Japanese technologies in foundry production).

With regard to the further promotion of India-Japan technical cooperation in the environmental sector, information on new opportunities through the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) and technical cooperation within the UNFCCC framework was provided, and the importance of continued India-Japan technical cooperation was communicated to various relevant stakeholders in India through this publication.

* SAMEEEKSHA is a collaborative platform that pools and shares the knowledge and experiences of various organisations and institutions - Indian and international, public and private - that are engaged in promoting energy efficiency in the Indian MSME sector.

SAMEEEKSHA Newsletter

JST-JICA: Science and Technology Research partnership for Sustainable Development

This project aims to formulate an international scheme to accelerate application of Japanese low-carbon technologies to India through the development of concrete strategies. Such strategies include: identifying appropriate technologies for green house gas (GHG) reductions both in India and Japan; capacity building; knowledge sharing; establishing knowledge-sharing schemes by compiling technical information on low-carbon technologies; and constructing a joint working system with private firms. In particular, the project aims to conduct research and analysis on energy consumption by Indian energy-intensive SMEs; to identify promising investment opportunities, success factors and priority-appropriate technology based on the trend of electricity consumption; and to promote the application of such technology with special attention to SMEs through selected pilot projects.
https://www.iges.or.jp/en/business/jst/activity_alct.html