Public Outreach Activities of the Tomakomai CCS Demonstration Project

Extensive public outreach activities are being conducted by Japan CCS Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “JCCS”) as an integral part of the Tomakomai CCS Demonstration Project, commissioned to JCCS by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan (hereinafter “METI”), aiming towards the successful delivery of Japan’s first full-cycle CCS demonstration project near an urban area in Tomakomai City, Hokkaido. The total project period is 9 years from JFY (*) 2012 to 2020[1], of which from JFY2018 to 2019, the project is under the jurisdiction of New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (hereinafter “NEDO”) with subsidy from METI. (*JFY denotes April of calendar year to March of following year.) In early 2011, METI and JCCS discussed and agreed upon the common objectives; (i) the successful and smooth completion of the Tomakomai Project; (ii) prioritize Tomakomai City for the public outreach activities - ensuring that the local stakeholders understood the project and purpose of CCS; and (iii) primary emphasis on safety and security. These objectives were all in line with the overall project goal of verifying the practical use of CCS technology by around 2020. With a view to achieving these objectives, METI and JCCS adopted the following approaches, while placing the utmost emphasis on building trust with individual stakeholders: a tailored approach to deal with the wide range of stakeholders groups in Tomakomai City to secure the confidence of each group regarding the safety of the project; an extensive approach to engage a broader community of stakeholders for dissemination of CCS and the Tomakomai CCS Demonstration Project in other areas in Japan; and a collaborative approach with METI to engage international stakeholders in order to share information and contribute towards accelerating the dissemination of CCS technology. A key focus of our activities was to create highly visual, easy-to-understand materials that would draw public attention and help us provide people with clear and accurate information and context. JCCS constantly updated these materials in accordance with the progress of the project and customized them from community to community. JCCS’s main principles regarding public outreach activities are; first, sharing correct information based on current CCS technology; second, maintaining constant, thorough cooperation with the Tomakomai government; third, avoiding a one-way flow of information by encouraging conversation with all parties; fourth, designing our activities to create a personal connection with the audience; fifth and last, planning our activities in consideration of the benefits to the local communities. The Tomakomai Project is recognized as a case of the central government, local community and private sector working together in carrying out a CCS project.