In January 2013, ITOCHU sponsored the Seminar on Global Environment-Oriented Business Management at the Tokyo Head Office. The seminar was attended by around 180 employees of ITOCHU Corporation and its affiliates, and led by invited speaker Seita Emori of the Climate Risk Assessment Section of the National Institute for Environmental Studies. Mr. Emori gave a talk titled “How ‘afraid’ should we be of global warming? A big picture look at the risks of global warming.”
Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, public interest in nuclear energy has been high. However, global warming is almost certainly advancing, and countermeasures will be needed in the future. In his talk, Mr. Emori explained the current situation and predictions in respect of global warming in plain language using animated simulation. Many of his remarks left a strong impression on the audience, including examples of the very important implications once global warming advances beyond a critical point, the fact that unless CO2 emissions are reduced to zero in the future we will not be able to stop the advance of global warming, and the need for major value judgments in the future. Many participants said that the talk had provided them with hints that they could put to use in the course of their work.