The Kyushu University EU Centre (JMCoE-Q) Extension Lecture Series 2021 titled “European Green Deal—Aiming for the Decarbonized Society” was organised online. It was composed of four lectures held from 26 June to 26 July 2021. This extension lecture series is provided for the general public in order to reach out to wider groups of citizens to promote a public understanding about the EU in general by taking up various themes. This year was the fourth time it was organised by JMCoE-Q.
This lecture series was held online as a webinar in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, and the event was a great success with more participation than expected of approximately 210 people from all over the country. Taking advantage of the online format, many participants from remote areas where it would normally be difficult to meet face-to-face were able to attend, leading to the dissemination of information over a wide area. Citizens say that they are looking forward to the lecture series every year. The EU Centre Extension Lecture Series is getting to be more and more familiar with the general public each time it is held, and it is becoming one of activities that leads to a contribution to the community through learning.
In last year’s JMCoE-Q Extension Lecture Series, the current status of some issues facing the EU was explained. This time, we welcomed several specialists as lecturers in the fields of the EU, Europe, and energy issues, not only from Kyushu University but from other universities, and multidimensional perspectives were provided under the theme of the “European Green Deal”.
The world’s accelerating carbon-neutral movement (zero greenhouse gas emissions) has been led by the EU with the launch of the “European Green Deal” strategy at the end of 2019. The realisation of carbon neutrality by 2050, which this strategy advocates as an environmental policy, is an ambitious goal that cannot be achieved without structural economic and social changes, such as decarbonisation of the energy sector, innovation in the industrial sector, the realisation of a circular economy, and the shift to clean transportation. We have learned from the pioneering efforts of the European Green Deal to aim for a carbon-free society where people can live in good health and happiness under a new growth trajectory through economic and social reforms.

Programme:

• First: 28 June 2021, Prof. Yu Hasumi (Rikkyo University): European Green Deal and Shift to the Circular Economy”
• Second: 5 July 2021, Prof. Kenji Iwata (Director of the Kyushu University EU Centre: “Green transportation aimed at ‘the European Year of Rail 2021’”
• Third: 12 July 2021, Assoc. Prof. Tatsuya Wakeyama (Kyushu University Platform of Inter-Transdisciplinary Energy Research (Q-PIT)): Transformation of Electric Power Systems to Expand Introduction of Renewable Energy—Comparison between Japan and Europe
• Fourth: 26 July 2021, Prof. Yu Hasumi (Rikkyo University): “EU-Japan Cooperation in Open Strategic Autonomy—In Search of Global Standards for Green Business”

Published: October 2021