Carbon Neutrality Meeting Held at Soma Aero-Engine Works to Raise Awareness
The IHI Group aims to achieve carbon neutrality across its entire value chain by 2050 as part of its response to climate change. As one initiative toward this goal, a “Carbon Neutrality Meeting” was held on February 26, 2026, at the IHI Soma Aero-Engine Works for stakeholders with bases and factories in the Tohoku region. In addition to IHI Soma Aero-Engine Works personnel, a total of 27 participants attended from IHI Castings, the IHI Touhoku Branch, the IHI Logistics & Machinery Motomiya Works, Voith IHI Paper Technology, and the Soma IHI Green Energy Center.
In the first session, participants introduced their respective organizations and initiatives toward achieving carbon neutrality, helping to deepen mutual understanding. This was followed by a hands-on experience with the card game “2050 Carbon Neutrality,” provided by Project Design Inc. The game is a simulation tool that allows players to experience the social and environmental impacts of actions taken toward carbon neutrality. The session was organized and facilitated by four employees certified as official facilitators of the game.
In the game, the venue was treated as a representation of Japan, and participants were divided into teams of two to three people, each assigned to one of twelve types of organizations, such as government bodies, manufacturers, and environmental NGOs. The teams worked to achieve both their organization-specific goals and the overarching target of realizing carbon neutrality by 2050.
Participants commented that they were able to “experience the importance of collaboration among organizations and individuals in achieving carbon neutrality,” “translate the goal of promoting carbon neutrality into concrete actions,” and that it was “one of the most engaging training sessions in recent years.” The activity contributed to a deeper understanding of the essence of carbon neutrality and helped foster a sense of ownership among participants.
Workshops using the “2050 Carbon Neutrality” card game have been conducted seven times since the first session at the Mizuho Plant in March 2025, with a total of approximately 190 employees participating to date.
In the second session, participants toured the Aero-Engine Works and received explanations from works personnel about the manufacturing processes for aircraft components and examples of initiatives toward carbon neutrality. During the tour, participants exchanged views on initiatives such as the lightweighting of jig base plates through the effective use of waste materials from CFRP molding processes and an air conditioning control system that achieves both a comfortable working environment and reduced electricity costs through energy savings.
Through these activities, the IHI Group will continue to encourage behavioral changes among employees that contribute to carbon neutrality and work as one team to achieve its 2050 carbon neutrality target.