This time, we interviewed Kenta Kawasaki from ESG Consulting Department. Read on to learn about the thoughts and actions of someone who doesn’t fear imperfection but finds purpose in pushing forward.
Name: Kenta Kawasaki
Department/Position: ESG Consulting Department
Area of Expertise/Assigned Duties: Research on carbon credit trends, Public Relations
University: Keio University, Faculty of Law, Department of Law, 4th Year
Major/Studies: International Law / Legal Philosophy
Reason for Joining: I wanted to experience the front lines of Green Transformation (GX) and understand the real-world initiatives of companies and global market trends.
Background: Born in Kuala Lumpur, graduated from Keio Senior High School, enrolled in Keio University’s Faculty of Law, Department of Law.
Hobbies/How I Spend My Days Off: Going for walks / Reading / Exercising / Listening to music and watching videos.
Student Activities/Organizations: As a member of the NPO AIESEC in Japan, I developed a one-month online program for students in Japan and abroad, and was also involved in committee personnel planning. Participated as a member of the third graduating class of the Green innovation general incorporated association and its Green Innovator Academy.
Social media: www.linkedin.com/in/kenta-kawasaki-profile
Q. Could you please give us a brief self-introduction, including your career to date?
My name is Kenta Kawasaki. I was born in Malaysia and lived there for about 15 years.
I have been studying at Keio since high school, and I chose to enter the Faculty of Law for my university studies. It wasn’t that I aimed to become a lawyer, but rather that I wanted to study a discipline that could keep me highly interested and motivated right now. When I consider that in the end, all a person has is their will, regardless of how they approach choices with calculated ideals, I’ve spent my student life thinking that what matters most is what my heart is drawn to in the present moment.
In the latter half of my university years, I began to proactively study international law and legal philosophy through seminars, which deepened my interest in the issue of climate change. I’ve always been a sensitive and intellectually curious person, prone to being aware of problems, so I was drawn to issues like the environment and global conflicts. This led me to confront my own worldview, asking fundamental questions like “What is law?” and “Are we merely lining up empty words when faced with collective action problems like climate change?”
That is precisely why I want to take a step out of the world of contemplation, of law and philosophy, and take on the challenge of making even a small impact on the real world through concrete business. By leveraging a dynamic environment like Green Carbon’s, I hope to receive Copernican-scale inspiration from many directions and advance my own journey, step by step.
My favorite hobby is going for walks! Maybe it’s because I feel most like myself when I’m doing nothing, or maybe I just want to space out, I’m not quite sure (laughs). But the feeling of cherishing the ability to simply enjoy the moment—isn’t that something my fellow walk-lovers can relate to? (laughs)
Q. What made you decide to work at Green Carbon?
I wanted to be on the front lines of GX to see the real-world initiatives of companies and understand global market trends. My memory is a bit hazy, but I recall hearing about a startup that was the first in Japan to receive J-Credit certification during a J-StarX event or my time at the Green Innovator Academy, and I decided to apply.
To be honest, it wasn’t as if I had a clear, specific idea of what I wanted to do. But I thought that was all the more reason to dive into this environment, and that as long as I didn’t stop challenging myself once I was there, that would be enough. I believe that diving into an environment can be a sufficient sense of purpose in itself.
Especially at Green Carbon, and in my department, I’m very grateful that they encourage us to speak up if there’s something we want to do. They are truly affirmative of valuing the attitude of continuous challenge (the How) rather than just aiming for specific goals (the What).
I often feel that I’m surprisingly timid, so being in an environment where I can make a habit of “just trying things first” is, in itself, a huge part of the meaning of working at Green Carbon.
Q. What kind of work are you involved in? Please tell us about your duties.
I am in the ESG Consulting Department. In addition to tasks like researching Emissions Trading Schemes (ETS) and trends among other companies and governments, creating documents, and handling subsidy applications, I am also involved in creative work such as social media PR strategy, press releases, and video editing. Every task offers a repeatable lesson in structuring things or conveying information, which is why I find it so interesting to be involved in a wide range of work.
Recently, I’ve been trying to create manuals, systematize our processes, and organize our knowledge. By doing so, I aim to smooth out collaboration with those around me and create opportunities for more productive ideas and challenges, thereby increasing the quantity and quality of work I can take on, such as opportunities to stand before our clients.
The tasks I’m involved in are wide-ranging, and naturally, not all of them come with specific instructions, so I feel a proactive attitude is extremely important.
Q. What gives you a sense of purpose in your work?
I find a daily sense of purpose in noticing and acknowledging my own shortcomings. It is because I can see these inadequacies that I get a tangible sense of growth—better today than yesterday, better tomorrow than today—and perhaps that is where I find joy. Small successes are gratifying, but I feel a deeper sense of fulfillment, one that is akin to purpose, when I can reflect on a mistake and figure out how to improve.
In high school, I wrote my graduation thesis on the theme of Daoist and Immortalist thought, and I believe that the Daoist idea that “there is value in a state of imperfection” still remains within me today.
Q. What do you want to be in 10 years?
For now, I’d like to become the kind of person people refer to by saying, “For this field, let’s ask Kawasaki-san.” A person whose passion and messages resonate with those around them, making them say, “Talking with you, Kawasaki-san, somehow makes me feel like I can do my best, too.” That’s the kind of person who has a positive impact that I want to be.
To be honest, I don’t really know what that person will actually be like (laughs). That’s why, instead of endlessly worrying about the choices I’ve made or will make, I want to maintain both the horsepower to take the initiative in an environment I feel I need, and the humility to be able to ask, “Why is it that I must be the one to do this?”
Also, I’m hoping I can do all that without getting permanent frown lines from all the serious thinking (laughs).
Q. Finally, do you have a message for people who want to work at Green Carbon?
“My greatest enemy is usually myself.” I love this line from the manga Space Brothers. At first glance, it might sound a bit self-absorbed or even arrogant, but I believe it’s actually a very kind and hopeful phrase that allows you to reclaim your own agency.
If you can relate, even just a little, to my clumsy way of fighting my own battles, why not come meet the colleagues at Green Carbon, where we can struggle together and encourage each other to move forward, even if it’s just half a step further than yesterday?