Chairman Kobayashi’s Comments on the Leaders Summit on Climate

April 26, 2021

The Leaders Summit on Climate hosted by the United States has just taken place. It is highly significant that the leaders of the 40 countries and regions that are the main greenhouse gas emitters met and showed to the world their positive attitude toward achieving a carbon-neutral society by ambitiously raising national greenhouse gas reduction targets.

This summit is an important milestone toward the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) scheduled for November this year. It can be expected to further accelerate global climate change countermeasures, including those of emerging and developing countries.

In Japan, the public and private sectors must join forces in taking initiatives toward achieving the new target announced by Prime Minister Suga of a 46 percent reduction from 2013 emission levels in 2030 and realizing carbon neutrality by 2050. Based on the Green Growth Strategy formulated in December last year, I want the government to mobilize all available policies for motivating companies to invest in climate change countermeasures and accelerate innovation. At the same time, I expect it to promote cooperation with other countries regarding innovation policies, international rule making, and support for third countries.

While supporting national policies that contribute to the resolution of the climate change problem, the JFTC will aim to promote the transition to a carbon-neutral society through the business activities of our member companies.