RITE Future Forest, a pavilion where Nagoya University displayed an exhibit during Expo 2025 in Osaka, was selected as one of the winners of the inaugural Expo Innovation Award. The prize was awarded to the projects that presented the most outstanding creative ideas at the event. RITE Future Forest showcased different ways humans can capture the CO₂ they produce to improve the environment, much like how a forest absorbs CO₂ and produces oxygen. The award was presented on September 7, 2025, at the 20th Anniversary Celebration of Expo 2005 in Aichi.
Today, efforts are being made around the world to curb global warming by reducing CO₂ emissions, the biggest cause of climate change. However, reducing emissions requires restricting economic activity and people’s day-to-day lives, so these efforts have seen limited progress.
Under these circumstances, “negative emissions”—mechanisms and technologies for removing CO₂ from the atmosphere—have been attracting attention. RITE Future Forest showcases various initiatives aimed at the practical implementation of negative emission technologies, such as DAC (direct air capture), a technology that directly collects CO₂ from the atmosphere, and CCS (carbon dioxide capture and storage), a technology that stores CO₂ underground, among others.
The exhibit presented by Nagoya University was Cryo-DAC, a technology that collects CO₂ from the atmosphere and converts it into dry ice. The Laboratory of Koyo Norinaga at the Graduate School of Engineering is working toward a practical application of this technology in collaboration with external research institutions and companies.
The award presented to RITE Future Forest was the Expo Special Recognition Award for Cross-Sectoral Enlightenment. Nagoya University’s collaboration with the Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE), Kyushu University, and Maeda Road Construction Co., Ltd. was evaluated highly for its demonstration experiments that used cutting-edge technology, and for presenting the information in a way that was clear to visitors and sought to promote wider understanding.
The ceremony venue was packed and full of energy with numerous celebrities and musicians in attendance, including actor and musician Ken Matsudaira. At the awards ceremony, Kenji Yamaji, Chairman of RITE, and Professor Koyo Norinaga of Nagoya University went on stage to receive the award and were met with the applause of the full arena.
Originally published in Japanese on September 12, 2025
