Cities and Climate

The decarbonization of the industrial sector through greater reliance on hydrogen is one of the cornerstones of the national strategies of Japan and Germany to achieve climate neutrality. To further promote exchange in this field, the German Embassy and DWIH Tokyo hosted the discussion “Deep Dive on German Energy and Transition and German Hydrogen Policies” on March 1, 2023 at the Embassy Residence in Tokyo. Dr. Felix Chr. Matthes (Öko-Institut - Institute for Applied Ecology) presented the keynote lecture, which was followed by a commentary by Prof. Dr. Takao Kashiwagi (Tokyo Institute of Technology) as well as questions from the audience.

How can the safety of connected and automated driving functions be virtually tested, evaluated and guaranteed? This is the key question addressed by the German-Japanese research project VIVID.

[Deadline: 2022/05/24, 2 p.m. CEST] The submission period for the Green Talents Competition 2022 is open now. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has held the prestigious “Green Talents – International Forum for High Potentials in Sustainable Development” to promote the international exchange of ideas regarding green solutions since 2009. The award honours 25 young researchers from around the world each year who are engaged in excellent interdisciplinary work on environmental topics. The winners come from various scientific disciplines and are recognised for their outstanding achievements in making our societies more sustainable. The call is open to all disciplines.

The term ‘Femtech’ was coined in 2016 and the sector that subsequently emerged is now booming in Japan, Germany, and all over the world. Femtech products have helped addressing women’s largely overlooked physical needs by breaking with taboos such as menstruation, menopause or infertility. But how is Femtech contributing to women’s empowerment and gender equality? Are Femtech innovations restricted to women`s health? And who are the protagonists in the Femtech industry?

Three projects with German partners have been selected in the call “Sustainable Hydrogen Technology as Affordable and Clean Energy” of the European Interest Group (EIG) Concert Japan (funding period FY2022 - FY2024).

[Deadline: 2021/09/15] The EJEA Conference in Kagawa on Human-centered Sustainability and Innovation for an AI-assisted Future: New Interdisciplinary Education & Research for the Next Stages in Japan and Europe, which will be held from October 22 to 24, 2021, and organised by the European Japan Experts Association (EJEA), Kagawa University, Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT and the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP), is now accepting submissions for contributions.

August 25, 2021 [by Toru Kumagai] The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is involved in countless research projects, one of which expresses Germany's emphasis on environmental protection very well: a project aimed at preserving biodiversity. The BMBF summarizes it as follows: "About one million species of plants and animals are threatened with extinction worldwide. The decrease in biodiversity is one of the biggest challenges facing the scientific, economic and political communities.”

[Deadline: 2021/05/19, 2 p.m. CEST]  Join a prestigious network for sustainability research, gain unique access to Germany’s leading scientists, and become part of an international exchange on innovative green ideas

February 25, 2021 [by Toru Kumagai] The Federal Government of Germany published its national hydrogen energy strategy in June 2020, revealing that hydrogen will be one of the pillars for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, as reported in the first article of this series. Research institutes and electric power companies in Germany as well as in Japan are currently propelling projects for the practical use of hydrogen energy.

December 22, 2020 [by Toru Kumagai] Germany is one of the most ambitious countries in the world in its effort to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions. The Merkel administration enacted the Klimaschutzgesetz (Climate Protection Law) on December 18, 2019, making the country the first in the world to mandate by law that its CO2 emissions targets should be achieved. Nevertheless, the transition towards a decarbonised economy will not go smoothly.