51³Ô¹ÏÍø

51³Ô¹ÏÍø participates in Hitachi-University of Tokyo Laboratory 10th Anniversary Symposium

Hitachi-UTokyo Laboratory hosted the 10^th Anniversary International Symposium on 6^th of July 2026. It was delivered jointly with the Hitachi-51³Ô¹ÏÍø Centre for Decarbonisation and Natural Climate Solutions covering the frontier topic of “Value Creation for Sustainability through Nature and Biodiversity,” which is at the core of both Industry-Academia collaborations. This event brought 330 participants together among academics, representatives of environmental planning, departments of private companies and policymakers. Key insights include the need of nature-positive market signals to drive action, and the multi-faceted characteristics of nature-positive actions at local and regional levels compared to more standardised approaches to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The event opened with remarks from the Heads of Hitachi-UTokyo Laboratory, Professor Ryoichi Komiyama, The University of Tokyo, and Dr. Nobuo Nukaga, Senior Project Manager at Hitachi, in which they shared an overview of the activities from 2016 to 2026.

Dr. Will Pearse, Associate Professor in Evolutionary Ecology, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, presented the Keynote Lecture on “Accurately valuing ecosystems to benefit business and society.” He emphasised that protecting biodiversity is not just environmental conservation and a cost, but it is a means to make business activities more efficient and competitive. Integrating nature into businesses creates tangible economic value, such as reducing fertilizer in agriculture, protecting infrastructure from natural disasters such as floods and fires, and improving cooling effectiveness. He presented the database and analysis developed in his laboratory, as part of the Hitachi-51³Ô¹ÏÍø centre, to examine and forecast the relationship between ecosystem services and various levels of biodiversity. This tool allows to focus on the necessary levels of biodiversity to secure desired outcomes such as clean air, clean water, enough food, carbon sequestration, protection from flooding, etc. This was followed by three presentations highlighting the benefits of including species in the ecosystems model to improve the estimates of ecosystem functions, the potential of blue carbon of removing gigatons of CO₂ while supporting marine biodiversity and providing nursery grounds for fisheries, and the use of scenario simulation to understand the complex interplay of various sectors and the approaches to meet decarbonisation targets.

Panel discussion

The panel discussion on “Value Creation for Sustainability through Nature and Biodiversity” was moderated by Dr. Efrain Tamayo, Chief Researcher at Hitachi. Ms. Aya Nagata, Director at Ministry of the Environment, Japan, and Dr. Monden Kazuya, Senior Manager at Hitachi joined Professor Komiyama and Dr. Pearse as panellists. In the panel discussion, the challenges, and opportunities unique to nature-positive were discussed, comparing them with the decarbonisation journey. The main points raised during the panel discussion are summarized as follows:

• Professor Komiyama pointed out that, unlike decarbonisation, nature-positive has not yet formed clear market signals and stressed the need for the formation of appropriate signals to unlock investments, and actions from diverse stakeholders. Market signals such as carbon pricing are functioning in the decarbonisation field, but in the field of nature-positive, policy predictability and value evaluation methods have not yet been established, and rules are still in the process of being formulated.
• Pearse and Ms. Nagata touched on the locality and regionality of nature-positive and argued that it is necessary to create easy-to-understand signals and a mechanism for regional promotion.
• Monden stated that Hitachi will also make efforts to integrate nature-positive into the corporate management agenda in anticipation of clearer KPIs, which was one of the prominent topics in the panel discussion. Greenhouse gas emissions reduction metrics can be treated as fungible indicators of the same effect independent on the location in the world where the reduction occurs. However, biodiversity cannot be simply measured by a single indicator because the value and function of biodiversity are completely different depending on the region and ecosystem, such as forests, coral reefs, and grasslands.
• Pearse suggested that measuring “three different indicators” at “three different times,” and using “three different methods” could be an approach to address the KPIs issue in biodiversity.

Summary and next steps

The presentations and panel discussion highlighted the importance of an integrated approach for decarbonisation and nature-positive as they are interconnected and there are trade-offs between the initiatives targeting them. This symposium provided an important compass showing the valuable business opportunities aligned with the integration of decarbonisation and nature-positive actions. Based on the gained insights, as a next step, a white paper will be prepared detailing the transition processes of decarbonisation and nature-positive, their integration, and the levers to enable value creation and scalability.

The symposium concluded with a call to work together, further involving academia, industry, and government like-minded partners, and to disseminate the activities expanding from energy and decarbonisation to nature-positive.

51³Ô¹ÏÍø and LSE bring environmental economics research into focus at workshop

Researchers from around the world gathered at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø on 8–9 June for the 9th 51³Ô¹ÏÍø/LSE Workshop in Environmental Economics. Organised by the Economics and Public Policy Department at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Business School, the Department of Geography and Environment at LSE and the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, the workshop created space for in-depth discussion of new research on climate risk, the green transition, pollution, adaptation and household energy demand.

The event was also sponsored by the Hitachi-51³Ô¹ÏÍø Centre for Decarbonisation and Natural Climate Solutions. In that context, the workshop offered a valuable opportunity to bring leading environmental economists into conversation on some of the policy and economic questions shaping the transition to a more sustainable future.

The two-day programme brought together established and early-career scholars working across environmental, resource and energy economics. Through full paper presentations and short talks, participants shared new evidence on the economic dimensions of climate change and explored how research can help inform responses to pressing environmental challenges.

A central theme of the workshop was the long-run nature of climate risk and the complexity of the transition to low-carbon systems. Presentations examined topics including the spatial consequences of climate tipping points, long-run cost-benefit rules, and the role of critical minerals and geopolitics in shaping the green transition. Other discussions considered how economies and governments respond to disasters, highlighting the ways climate risk, resilience and public policy intersect. These questions speak directly to the kind of systems-level challenges that sit at the heart of work being advanced across 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, including through its collaboration with Hitachi.

The workshop also explored how policy design influences outcomes in practice. Sessions on green industrial policy, corporate net zero targets, permitting and litigation risk, and firms’ responses to disruption all pointed to the importance of implementation as well as ambition. Together, these discussions emphasised the value of careful empirical research in understanding where climate and energy policies are working, where constraints remain, and what this means for the pace of decarbonisation. A further set of presentations focused on the effects of environmental change and policy on people’s lives. Research on pollution looked at the links between electric vehicle adoption, air quality and infant health, as well as the long-run costs of chronic exposure to pollution. Sessions on adaptation and household energy behaviour examined topics such as weather-related investment decisions, crop insurance, electricity demand response, heat-pump grants and solar panel adoption.

A keynote lecture by Prof Robert Metcalfe of Columbia University was a highlight of the event focussing on results of his collaboration with Octopus Energy to draw out unique insights on energy consumption behaviour and economic incentives.  

By convening researchers at different career stages and from a wide range of institutions, the workshop reinforced the value of collaboration in advancing climate and environmental research. It also underlined the importance of environmental economics in informing responses to decarbonisation, climate impacts and the design of effective policy. Set alongside the wider work of the Hitachi-51³Ô¹ÏÍø Centre for Decarbonisation and Natural Climate Solutions, the event demonstrated how partnerships between academia and industry can help create the evidence, ideas and networks needed to support a more sustainable future.

Hitachi R&D Leaders Visit 51³Ô¹ÏÍø for a Showcase of Research Excellence

The Hitachi - 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Centre for Decarbonisation and Natural Climate Solutions hosted senior leaders from Hitachi’s Research & Development Group at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø on 25 February 2026, welcoming them for a curated programme demonstrating 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s world-leading research strengths, global networks and interdisciplinary capabilities.

The visit highlighted the strong partnership focused around the Hitachi-51³Ô¹ÏÍø Centre’s mission to advance decarbonisation, climate repair and evidence-based policy. The discussion summarised the successes to date, including pioneering work on carbon removal, biodiversity intelligence and decarbonisation pathways.

Professor Hugh Brady, President of 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, welcomed the delegation and outlined the university’s global mission, highlighting the enormous value that strategic partners such as Hitachi bring to tackling world problems collaboratively. This was followed by Professor Mary Ryan, Vice-Provost (Research & Enterprise) and Co-Director of the Hitachi–51³Ô¹ÏÍø Centre, who further discussed 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Science for Humanity Strategy to deliver large-scale, mission-led research, empower talent, and build transformational international partnerships that accelerate scientific and societal impact at scale.

The day also primarily offered Hitachi’s R&D leadership a clear picture of 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s wider scientific ecosystem, policy influence and the culture of innovation that supports the partnership. A central feature of the visit was a session led by the convening Co-Directors of the School of Convergence Science: Professors Anthony Bull, Alessandra Russo, Jonathan Eastwood, and Dr Mirabelle Muûls. Through examples spanning AI living labs, advanced robotics, satellite instrumentation, energy systems modelling and ecosystem analytics, the team illustrated how 51³Ô¹ÏÍø integrates disciplines to create system-wide solutions with global relevance. The group discussed the importance of having common goals and putting the right milestones and infrastructure in place to support convergence science.

The group later visited 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Data Observatory, where large-scale immersive visualisations bring research to life. Demonstrations included robotics for real-world sensing, tracking knowledge flows using patent citations, and interactive insights into the future of work powered by artificial intelligence.

51³Ô¹ÏÍø academics and researchers joined senior Hitachi leaders including Dr Shigetoshi Sameshima and Dr Asako Koike for the visit, which concluded with reflections on the strength of the long-standing relationship between the two organisations.

Hitachi-51³Ô¹ÏÍø Researcher Workshop: Building Bridges for Innovation

On 25 November 2025, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø and Hitachi came together at Hitachi’s London offices for a dynamic workshop designed to spark collaboration and deepen mutual understanding. The event brought researchers from both organisations into one room to share ideas, explore synergies, and lay the groundwork for future partnerships.

The day began with a warm welcome and informal networking over coffee, setting the tone for an open and interactive session. Participants then took part in an icebreaker activity that encouraged conversation and helped build connections across disciplines. A highlight of the morning was a presentation from Hitachi, offering insights into the company’s business and research priorities. This session provided valuable context for identifying areas where academic expertise and industry innovation could intersect.

Researchers from 51³Ô¹ÏÍø introduced their work through a creative “pair and share” format, allowing everyone to gain a deeper appreciation of the breadth and depth of research taking place. These exchanges revealed exciting overlaps and sparked discussions about the collaborative projects.

The workshop concluded with a forward-looking conversation on next steps: how to stay connected, share resources, and turn ideas into impactful initiatives. Over lunch, participants continued networking, reinforcing the spirit of partnership that defined the day.

This event is part of a broader vision to strengthen collaboration through the Hitachi-51³Ô¹ÏÍø Centre for Decarbonisation and Natural Climate Solutions. Current projects include Regional Strategic Energy Planning for a Just and Resilient Energy Transition, which explores how energy systems can be designed to achieve net zero while ensuring fairness and resilience across regions. Alongside this, PhD projects within the Centre address critical challenges such as carbon accounting, direct air capture technologies, and nature-based climate solutions, equipping the next generation of researchers to lead the transition to a zero-pollution world.