The University of Tokyo (UTokyo) and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC) have decided to become partners towards the goal of creation of a circular economy. The two will also take up joint research work in areas such as chemical industry business model for circulation and effective use of resources to provide society with a wide range of materials.
MCC will support and donate to the Centre for Global Commons, which was newly established by the Institute for Future Initiatives of UTokyo on August 1, 2020 to “protect a stable global environment as the basis for a prosperous and sustainable society”.
MCC and UTokyo have also started discussing joint research to be undertaken as part of CGC’s activities on topics such as a vision for a chemical industry business model for circulation and effective use of resources to provide society with a wide range of materials. Through joint research, UTokyo and MCC will contribute to the creation of sustainable social and economic systems.
Global commons are defined as global environmental systems that form a shared basis for the sustainable development of humankind. To protect the sustainability of global environmental systems, CGC aims to scientifically demonstrate pathways for the fundamental transformation of social and economic systems based on scientific modelling. In collaboration with private enterprises, CGC also aims to research specific methods of transformation and routes to achieving change and promotes the realisation of such change through international cooperation.
Based on the Kaiteki vision set out by the Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation Group, MCC is working for the creation of a sustainable society through its business activities. To further its efforts, on April 1, 2020, MCC established a Circular Economy Department reporting directly to the president. Global in both perspective and scale, initiatives are undertaken by this department are spanning boundaries between business units to promote commercialisation of solutions relating to the circular economy and proactively pursuing tie-ups with external parties including customers, academic institutions, and start-ups.
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