Special Interviews

RD20 (Research and Development for Clean Energy Technologies), the international framework for R&D to achieve carbon neutrality, is run by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)’s Global Zero Emission Research Center (GZR). Founded in January 2020, GZR is headed by Dr. Yoshino, who is also known for winning the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. GZR runs RD20 and is actively engaged in research on carbon neutrality. We asked Dr. Yoshino, the Director of GZR, about RD20’s strategy this year.

Australian agriculture was worth $71 billion to the economy in 2020-21, as a major exporter of red meat and wheat. The country is also rich in mineral resources, and exports minerals such as iron ore, coal, and bauxite. It has a completely different industrial structure from Japan, and is a major country in terms of science and technology research. The huge laboratory called CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) covers a very wide range of themes, from medical care and healthcare to AI, green technologies such as renewable energy and batteries, the natural environment, mineral resources, space, and quantum physics. CSIRO has been a participant in RD20 (Research and Development 20 for Clean Energy Technologies) since it started in 2019. We asked Dr. Larry Marshall, Chief Executive of CSIRO, about his approach to RD20.

Germany is an environmentally advanced country, and its Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is Europe’s largest organization for applied research. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE), Europe’s largest renewable energy research institute, promotes sustainable, cost-effective, and secure energy supply systems. Under its mission to conduct research that benefits society, the Institute is engaged in researching the provision, delivery, storage, and use of clean energy. Closely involved with industry, it also encourages entrepreneurship and promotes international cooperation. We spoke with Professor Dr. Christopher Hebling, Director Division Hydrogen Technologies about the Institute’s RD20 goals for this year.

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is an India- based independent, multi-dimensional research organization with capabilities in technology development, implementation, and policy research. It works in the energy, environment, climate change and sustainability space, and is also engaged in extensive research and development in areas of sustainable agriculture, advanced biofuels and nano-biotechnology. It has harnessed the power of bioenergy to produce hydrogen, and is working to make agriculture more environmentally friendly through its research on fertilizers. In addition, it is also working on energy issues such as solar energy and hydrogen, and is focused on research into eco-friendly forms of energy for the future such as biofuels and biohydrogen. We asked Dr Vibha Dhawan, Director General of TERI, about TERI’s activities in RD20.

The RD20 (Research and Development 20 for Clean Energy Technologies) conference began with a statement by then-Prime Minister Abe at the Davos Meeting in January 2019. Its establishment was later welcomed by a joint statement at a G20 Ministerial Meeting on the energy environment held in Karuizawa in June of the same year. It was decided to use RD20 as an international framework for the national research institutes of the G20 to hold conferences on energy transformation and the global environment. The government was represented by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), while the conference was primarily managed by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), an independent administrative agency. We spoke with Mr. KOYAMA Masaomi (photo), Director, International Affairs Office, Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau, METI about what general direction they intend to take this year’s RD20 2022 in light of RD20 gatherings to date.

CEA (Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission) is one of France’s national technological research centers. It participated in RD20 (Research and Development for Clean Energy Technologies) which started in 2019, and pursues energy innovation for decarbonation of society. CEA is mandated by French government to achieve research and innovation supporting the energy transition and the digital transition. . CEA-Liten is an institute localized in Grenoble Area that focused on renewable energy. We asked Dr. Florence Lefebvre-Joud (Photo 1), who is Research Director at CEA-Liten in charge of international partnerships, about the institute’s approach for RD20.

Research and Development for Clean Energy Technologies (RD20), which launched in 2019, is an international R&D framework for achieving carbon neutrality. At its past three conferences there have been few participants from overseas and there is a desire to increase that number. We spoke about RD20 2022’s aims with Michio Kondo (photo) of the Global Zero Emissions Research Center (GZR) at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), RD20’s host.