On October 27, 2025, the Science Council of Japan (SCJ), the representative organization of the Japanese scientist community, released the recommendation calling for industry, government, academia, and the public to “mobilize their full resources” to address the climate crisis. This recommendation emphasizes the need for an unprecedented societal transformation, focusing on the theme of “Transition to a carbon-neutral society that harmonizes with nature’s restoration while leveraging the circular economy.”
This recommendation is based on deliberations led by one of the SCJ’s committees, Committee for Transition to a Carbon-Neutral Society Leveraging the Circular Economy and Harmonizing with Nature Restoration. The background includes the goal of the Paris Agreement, which is an international framework, and the submission of Japan’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), which presents a greenhouse gas emission reduction target for FY2040. The Japanese government submitted its NDC in February 2025.
This recommendation points out that we have reached a stage where we must confront the reality that 2024 marked the highest global average temperature on record and the impacts of climate change that are already surfacing, and must prescribe measures to accelerate countermeasures.
SCJ describes specific measures such as; sharing a sense of urgency regarding the advancing climate change, formulating social implementation plans for achieving the 2050 goals, promoting locally rooted collaboration among industry, government, and academia, and strengthening the role of academia in policy making. In particular, it emphasizes the need for strategic alignments to simultaneously achieve three pillars (carbon-neutral, circular economy, and nature positive), and for a highly perspective solution to complex clusters of challenges.
Expressing concern over technologies to extend the life of thermal power
The recommendation states that we are at a turning point to choose which measures to be taken either to pursue technological solutions while maintaining existing industries as a foundation to realize carbon neutrality, or to instead aim for a significant transformation of the industrial structure. It also points out that the challenge lies in how to foster industries with lower dependence on fossil resources and achieve a just transition.
Furthermore, it points out that there is a tendency to continue using legacy technologies and equipment with remaining life when promoting transition and transformation. For example, regarding ammonia co-firing in thermal power plants, even if it reduces CO2 emissions per production of electricity, there is concern that it could prolong the life of coal-fired power plants—which face significant international criticism—and delay the transition away from thermal power generation.
It emphasizes that while it is necessary to develop and implement a carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) system to keep using the remaining thermal power plants, a careful safety consideration is essential in earthquake-prone countries like Japan.
The recommendation also mentions challenges to use hydrogen energy. Hydrogen is expected to have adjustability of supply and demand and possibility to serve as heat sources in industries where decarbonization is difficult. However, considering greenhouse gas emissions from the hydrogen production process and its transportation from overseas, comprehensive assessment of its entire lifecycle is needed.
Contents of the Recommendation
The following is an excerpt from the contents of the SCJ’s recommendation.
- Accelerating Shared Crisis Awareness
To accelerate domestic and international measures against climate change progressing faster than expected, we must share the sense of urgency. - Formulating Social Implementation Plans
While maintaining a strong focus on intermediate checkpoints for achieving the 2050 target, we must clearly define sectors and entities and prepensely promote the social implementation of countermeasures. - Strengthening Industry-Government-Academia Collaboration Rooted in Local Communities
In order to achieve Carbon Neutrality (CN) within the limited timeframe, it is critically important to leverage Japan’s strength in industry-government-academia collaboration and implement countermeasure technologies tailored to regional characteristics swiftly and at an appropriate scale. It is necessary that the academic community must engage in local activities more actively than before. - Reacknowledging the Social Role of Academic Community
The academic community will conduct research aligned with social demands, continuing diverse research and creating new academic fields, while also leading efforts to clarify the pathway from fundamental research to societal implementation. Furthermore, it will encourage utilization of information technology, collaboration of interdisciplinary knowledge, and developing human resources that connects academia and society. - Simultaneous Achievement of Three Pillars
The academic community will promote a comprehensive overview of the common interests and trade-offs among CN, CE, and NP, and outline strategies for simultaneous achievement of these 3 pillars. It will also accumulate best practices and share the key success. - Developing Governance to Solve Complex Problems
Aiming to solve complex problems simultaneously by multiple stakeholders, develop governance framework under a clear assignment of responsibility that involves not only government but also society (industry-government-academia, finance, labor, and media). - Calling Upon All Resources to Enhance Sustainability at Both Global and Regions
Japan will internationally share the philosophy, knowledge and technologies for transition toward a carbon neutral society that prioritizes recycling resources and coexistence with nature. Japan will call upon all resources to enhance sustainability at both global and regional levels by making a strong impact on global carbon neutrality and integrating the perspective of climate change countermeasures into domestic challenges.
The core of this recommendation lies in that the SCJ strongly calls for a social “structural transformation” as countermeasures against climate crisis, rather than merely technological solutions. SCJ’s expression of concern over the measures to extend the lifespan of thermal power plants is emblematic of what the organization is seeking.
SCJ’s recommendation (written in Japanese) 「気候危機に対処するための産官学民の総力の結集－循環経済を活かし自然再興と調和する炭素中立社会への転換－」（PDF）