Where Japan's Carbon Rules & Data Centers Meet Silicon Valley Innovation

Join us during San Francisco Climate Week for a high-level session co-hosted by M-Lab and Mind the Bridge, exploring the key opportunity areas shaping climate technology today.

As Japan enters the mandatory phase of its Emissions Trading Scheme (GX-ETS) in April 2026, corporate focus on climate technologies is set to accelerate, particularly across energy-intensive sectors and large-scale infrastructure. This shift offers a timely lens to understand how regulatory pressure is translating into real demand for innovation.

From the growing energy demands of data centers to emerging frontiers such as carbon removal, sustainable fuels, and circular materials, we will explore the sectors where climate innovation is moving fastest, and where collaboration between corporates, startups, and investors is unlocking real impact.

For corporates: Understand where climate tech is becoming a strategic priority and how peers are already engaging with solutions across sectors.
For startups: Identify where real demand is emerging and how to position for deployment with global industrial players.
For investors & ecosystem builders: Gain visibility into high-priority climate tech areas and where innovation and capital are converging.

This event is part of the Mind the Bridge Silicon Valley Summit 2026.

Agenda

12:45 PM – 1:00 PM | Doors Open & Networking time

1:00 PM – 1:10 PM | Welcoming RemarksFeaturing:​

​​​Kei Morita, VP of New Technology & CVC at ENEOS Americas​​​Marco Marinucci, Founder & CEO at Mind the Bridge

1:10 PM – 1:40 PM | Opening: Leveraging Opportunities Under Japan’s GX‑ETS FrameworkAn overview of Japan’s GX‑ETS framework, including its objectives, structure, and timeline. The session will explore how Japanese corporates are adapting to the new regulatory environment and highlight emerging opportunities for overseas startups to engage with Japan’s GX ecosystem.Featuring:

Ryo Tateishi, Director, Business Development at Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas)

1:40 PM – 2:20 PM | Panel: Balancing Speed and Sustainability in the Data Center IndustryA deep dive into power and energy challenges in the data center sector, with a focus on energy supply, grid integration, and energy management. The discussion will address key bottlenecks and showcase notable solutions and real‑world use cases, with perspectives from M‑Lab corporates and startups.Featuring:

Masashi Hashiura, Consultant at Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc.Abhishek Sastri, CEO at FluixFernando Llaver, CEO at SplightJamie Daudon, Principal at The Westly Group ​​​Kei Morita, VP of New Technology & CVC at ENEOS Americas [Moderator]

2:20 PM – 2:35 PM | Quick Recharge

2:35 PM – 3:15 PM | Panel: Emerging Opportunities in the Climate Innovation LandscapeThis session will explore climate technology opportunities beyond data centers, focusing on areas that VCs and CVCs are actively pursuing today: such as materials circularity, CDR or carbon credit, SAF, and geologic hydrogen.Featuring:

Kaz Igarashi, Sr. Technologies Scouting Manager at Yazaki Innovations​​​Hirotaka Mori, Principal Researcher of New Technology & CVC at ENEOS AmericasAnouck Champsaur, Energy Transition VenturesGemma Odena Bulto, Operating Partner at SE VenturesAna Torres, Co-Founder at Xploration Partners | Faculty & Director at UC Berkeley Haas Business School [Moderator]

3:15 PM – 4:00 PM | Networking

Why Attend

Where Policy Meets Opportunity: Understand how regulatory shifts like GX-ETS are translating into real demand for climate technologies across industries.

Climate Tech, Where It’s Happening: Get a clear view of the sectors gaining traction: from data center energy to carbon removal, sustainable fuels, and circular materials.

Global Climate Innovation Network: Connect with leading corporates, investors, and innovators actively deploying and scaling climate solutions across markets.

About the M-Lab Companies

M-Lab, a consortium of leading Japanese organizations based in Silicon Valley, has driven the next generation of innovation since 2016 by leveraging business expertise, a vast global customer base, and cross-industry corporate resources. Participating companies have identified shared priorities and formed co-innovation initiatives in the mobility, healthcare, climate-tech, and materials sectors. The M-Lab consortium companies participating in this event include ENEOS Americas Inc., Yazaki Innovations Inc., Mitsubishi Research Institute, Marunouchi Innovation Partners and Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas).

By registering for this event, you agree to share your registration information with the organizers of SF Climate Week.