Tokyo Hosts 8th International Conference on Carbon Recycling as CO2 Utilization Moves Toward Market

Tokyo, 4 October 2026 — Government officials, industry leaders and researchers from Japan and abroad will gather in Tokyo on Friday, 9 October, for the 8th International Conference on Carbon Recycling, an annual platform dedicated to turning captured carbon dioxide into a reusable resource. The conference, organized by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), will run from 13:00 to 17:30 Japan Standard Time in a hybrid format, both in person at The Westin Tokyo and online.

Carbon recycling treats emitted CO2 not as waste but as a feedstock for fuels, chemicals and materials. According to the organizers, the technology is considered a key pathway toward carbon neutrality and Japan’s green transformation (GX) agenda, making the conference one of the year’s notable climate technology events ahead of the COP31 climate summit in Antalya in November.

What the carbon recycling conference will cover

The programme opens with an opening ceremony followed by three main sessions. Session A examines the global landscape of carbon recycling and Japan’s own initiatives, while a special session brings focused discussion to a headline theme. Session B turns to advanced carbon recycling technologies for building a CO2 value chain, and Session C addresses industrial collaboration and market development for deploying carbon recycling at scale.

Alongside the main sessions, the conference will host a poster session for researchers, a startup event showcasing young companies, a student exchange of views, and a networking reception for in-person participants at the venue.

A platform running since 2019

METI and NEDO have convened the International Conference on Carbon Recycling every year since 2019 to share Japan’s carbon recycling initiatives with the world and to strengthen cooperation between industry, academia and governments internationally. The organizers say they expect strong participation from overseas government officials, researchers and companies this year.

Participation is free of charge, but advance registration is required. The official conference website opened on 1 July 2026, with registration beginning on 15 July, and the programme and speaker list were most recently updated on 29 September, according to the conference secretariat. Sessions will be held in English and Japanese with simultaneous interpretation.

Why carbon recycling matters for carbon neutrality

As the pressure to cut greenhouse gas emissions intensifies, carbon recycling is gaining attention as a technology that can complement emissions reductions by giving captured CO2 economic value. Instead of releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, recycling processes convert it into products such as synthetic fuels and chemical raw materials, closing the carbon loop.

The Tokyo conference is expected to highlight both the latest research results and real business cases, bridging the gap between laboratory advances and market deployment — a step the organizers describe as essential for social implementation of the technology.

Key facts

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