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G20 Ministerial Meeting on Energy Transitions and Global Environment for Sustainable Growth

The Ministerial Meeting was co-chaired by the then Minster of the Environment, Yoshiaki Harada, and the then Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Hiroshige Seko, and discussions took place on 1) Accelerating the Virtuous Cycle of Environmental Protection and Economic Growth by Innovation, 2) Resource Efficiency and Marine Plastic Litter, and 3) Adaptation and Resilient Infrastructure Including Ecosystem-based Approaches. A “Communiqué” compiling the content of discussions, as well as accompanying documents (“G20 Karuizawa Innovation Action Plan”, “G20 Implementation Framework for Actions on Marine Plastic Litter”, “G20 Action Agenda on Adaptation and Resilient Infrastructure”), were adopted based on approval from 20 countries and regions.
One of these outcome documents, the “G20 Implementation Framework for Actions on Marine Plastic Litter”, was also mentioned in the G20 Osaka Leaders’ Declaration, an outcome document of the subsequent G20 Osaka Summit. Likewise, the Blue Ocean Vision, which aims to reduce additional pollution by marine plastic litter to zero by 2050, was shared among all nations. Furthermore, the first followup meeting to the implementation framework was held in October, where countries reported on and shared their countermeasures and best practices (related articles on p.8 and p.9). Although Saudi Arabia assumed the G20 Presidency from December 2019, the Ministry of the Environment of Japan will continue to cooperate in the follow-up on initiatives based on these outcomes.

G20 Innovation Exhibition

Various side events were organised alongside the main meeting. At the “G20 Innovation Exhibition” held in Karuizawa from 14 to 16 October, state-of-the-art Japanese energy and environmental technologies based on the themes of hydrogen energy, countermeasures for marine plastic litter, and innovation and the Regional Circular and Ecological Sphere, were showcased. The key message of the meeting, “Accelerating the Virtuous Cycle of Environmental Protection and Economic Growth by Innovation” was proclaimed to those both in Japan and overseas.

Nagano Declaration on working together to build sustainable societies

On 14 June, the Governor of Nagano prefecture handed over the “Nagano Declaration on working together to build sustainable societies” to Minister of the Environment Yoshiaki Harada. The Declaration was endorsed by 119 local governments and organisations from both Japan and around the world.

Launch of the Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Information Platform (AP-PLAT)

On 16 June, Minister Harada joined Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia, Permanent Secretary Wijarn Simachaya of the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment of Thailand, and other related organisations in declaring the launch of the Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Information Platform (AP-PLAT).

Tea ceremony using hydrogen energy

Handing over the Nagano Declaration to the Environment Minister
(left) ABE Shuichi, Governor, Nagano Prefecture
(center) HARADA Yoshiaki, Minister of the Environment
(right) HAMANAKA Hironori, Chair, ICLEI Japan