It is great honor to accept the appointment as the Chair of the Environment Division of The Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan (SCEJ) for the 11th term, succeeding the former Chairperson, Professor Satoshi Nakai of Hiroshima University.

Carbon neutrality has become mainstream worldwide. To achieve the Paris Agreement's goal of net-zero GHG emissions, it is necessary to demonstrate the possibility of net-zero emissions, including CO2 emission sources from hard-to-abate sectors and GHGs other than CO2. On the other hand, local environmental countermeasures for water, air, and soil are still important issues. It is essential to consider elemental technologies for energy and the environment, as well as environmental systems that combine these technologies, from a chemical engineering perspective. In addition to the engineering approach, an interdisciplinary approach including other natural and social sciences has become more important than ever before.

In the Environment Division, researchers and engineers in various fields are working on the platform of four subcommittees (Water Environment Process Subcommittee, Global Environment Subcommittee, Recycling Subcommittee, and Environmental System Subcommittee). We intend to deepen research in individual environmental fields, strengthen interdisciplinary research, disseminate information on the research results, and interact with chemical engineering and other fields to contribute to academia and society.

In addition to the dissemination of information, the role of the Division as a forum for personnel communication, information exchange, and opportunities for collaboration remains extremely important. The global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has provided an opportunity to reaffirm the convenience of online communication, and online meetings have become common not between counties but also within Japan. The SCEJ has also begun to hold research meetings in a hybrid format. Under these circumstances, opportunities for face-to-face interactions are becoming more and more important. The Environment Division holds Executive Committee Meetings and Extended Executive Committee Meetings for on-site participants at the Annual Meeting and the Fall Meeting to discuss current issues and future activities. In the Extended Executive Committee Meeting held in the evening, division members are invited to discuss a wide range of topics, such as functions and activities to be strengthened, to research themes and issues related to the research environment, and to exchange ideas through new communication channels. Many new initiatives have been generated so far. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting.

April 2023

Atsushi KUROSAWA
The Institute of Applied Energy
Chair, Environmental Division, The Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan