The idea of “going green” is to be friendlier to the environment, to utilize renewable energy instead of fossil fuels, and the control man-made emissions that prevent the harmful spread of waste into the environment. A group of scientists at Panasonic are developing artificial photosynthesis technology that can help towards all three green goals. The results are literally green.

The concept is not a new one. Scientists have long wanted to reproduce the technique that plants use to survive and thrive, taking elements found on the earth and allowing them to react to sunlight in a way that duplicates two major results of photosynthesis: energy production and CO2 reduction. Panasonic’s work has reportedly been able to achieve the closest level of efficiency, 0.2%, to what nature has already mastered.

Check out the video that describes how the process works after these images: