Reducing CO₂ emissions will require that we change our way of life and community-wide initiatives will be essential to achieve this. The City of Kitakyushu was one of the earliest municipalities to espouse the FutureCity Initiative and, in October 2020, declared itself a Zero Carbon City, vowing to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Various initiatives are being undertaken in communities throughout the city. However, establishing ways of life that contribute to achieving the zero-carbon goal seems likely to take some time.

Plastics made from petrochemicals generate CO₂ in their manufacture and incineration. They also cause various environmental problems because they do not readily decompose in the natural environment. In addition to concerns about their impact on marine organisms and ecosystems, there are fears about their effects on humans via the food chain. However, given that plastics are indispensable in our daily lives, eradicating them is impossible. It goes without saying that we need to reduce their use, so there is a pressing need to develop plastic alternatives that minimize the burden on the environment.

The government has announced that it aims to create a zero-carbon society by 2050, but the path to achieving this goal will be a rocky one. While the widespread use of renewable energy will be essential, there is disquiet about the ability of solar and wind power to provide a stable supply of electricity to support the Japanese economy, given that intermittency in supply will inevitably occur at times when they cannot generate power. It would be fair to say that thermal power generation is a practical option for making up for the intermittency. High-efficiency third-generation thermal power technology could hold one of the keys to bringing a zero-carbon future to fruition.