Statement

Check against delivery

(Acknowledgements)

Let me express my greatest appreciation to the Chilean Presidency for all their hard　work, and extend heartfelt gratitude to Spain for hosting COP25. It is a great honor to be able to share this time with you here today.

I will first share my thoughts on ongoing negotiations at this COP meeting and on the Paris Agreement.

(Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and JCM)

The market mechanisms in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement are instruments to accelerate global emissions reductions. Japan promotes the Joint Crediting Mechanism, or JCM, as a pioneering initiative under Article 6. Under the JCM more than 160 projects have been implemented. Just to give you one example, we support a shift from coal to solar in Mongolia, reducing carbon emissions while contributing to SDGs including improvement of health.

The success of COP25 rests on the rules for implementing Article 6; our homework from last year. We need to create robust rules to ensure environmental integrity by avoiding double counting so that the Paris Agreement kicks off to a good start.

(Our message)

I am one of the youngest Ministers in the world and the oldest of the millennial generation. I can empathize with the next generation's passion for a sustainable world. Also I am well aware of their anger with the older generation for their inaction.

I am going to be a father next year. I have a duty to secure the future beyond 2050, which is my future, and indeed, the future of my child and all children.

At the Climate Action Summit in New York, I received a proposal sent from Japanese students and made the decision to join the Clean Air Initiative. I wanted the next generation to know that their voices are being heard by political leaders.

What we need now is inclusive action mobilizing all generations. Of course, I am aware of global criticism, including on our coal-related policies. Last week, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for stopping our "addiction to coal". I took this as a message to Japan.

I am afraid I cannot share new development on our coal policy today, but let me tell you. A growing number of people in Japan, including myself, believe further climate actions must be taken.

While taking these criticisms seriously, I would like to stress Japan is taking concrete actions towards decarbonization and delivering the results. We have reduced greenhouse gas emissions for 5 years in a row. There are only two countries who achieved it, Japan and UK among the G7 countries. Japan joined the Carbon Neutrality Coalition this September. These actions and results are overshadowed by the criticism on our coal policy. I came to Madrid to change that perception.

Japan may be perceived not fully committed. That's not true. We are fully committed, and Japan will deliver.

(Zero carbon cities)

This year, Japan suffered devastating damage from typhoons. Having been affected very badly, Nagano Prefecture became the first prefecture to declare a climate emergency, and expressed their determination to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. This is truly symbolic as an awakening of non-state actors like local governments.

When I was appointed as Environment Minister a few months ago, there were just four local governments, with a total population of 20 million, which announced their aims for net zero carbon by 2050. I then made a successful call nationwide, and now 28 localities, including Tokyo, Kyoto and Yokohama, aim to be net zero by 2050. They have 45 million people in total, generating a GDP of two trillion US dollars. Population-wise this figure is bigger than that of the state of California, and is not far off the population of Spain at 47 million. Ambitious actions by these local governments will drive the national government to achieve net zero sooner within this century.

(Green Finance)

For zero carbon economy, we need to mobilize private capital. As Bank of England governor Mark Carney stated at the TCFD Summit held in Tokyo this year, Japan is a leader in the field of TCFD. 212 Japanese companies and institutions support TCFD recommendations, the largest number in the world. Proper disclosure of climate related information attracts investment and contributes to further economic growth.

(Green Climate Fund)

As a leading donor to the Green Climate Fund, Japan is making a contribution of 3 billion US dollars. We will strongly support the GCF, as a way of assisting developing countries to take action, including on adaptation.

(Conclusion）

Ladies and gentlemen, next year, 2020, is the year to fully deliver on the Paris

Agreement. We must fulfill our duty, representing all generations, to produce a successful outcome of this COP. Let's get our "homework" done!

Thank you very much. Muchas Gracias.

End

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