This report presents quantitative pathways for the Japanese chemical industry to achieve net zero emission for scope 1, 2, and 3, offering strategies for a transition that considers Japan’s strengths and weaknesses, and proposes a future role for the industry, which may also be applicable to chemical industries in other countries and regions with similar constraints.
The chemical industry in Japan stands at a crossroads, facing a shrinking domestic population, shifting needs from customer industries, and sustainability challenges, including GHG emission reduction. This report presented pathways to net zero, insights and strategies for the transition that leverage Japan’s strengths, and a future role for the industry. Individual chemical companies must develop their own pathways by taking advantage of globally available solutions (e.g., technologies for renewable energy and the First Movers Coalition), Japan’s strengths, and their own strengths to differentiate themselves from others. Learning from lessons from past transitions in other industries is also essential to prepare for a major transformation to net zero. The time has come for individual companies to act on their visions of the industry’s future role, value proposition, and industrial structure.
