Speeches by the Environment Minister
Message by ISHIHARA Hirotaka, Minister of the Environment, Japan, at the Launch of the Asia-Pacific Synergies Report (June 30, 2026)
Good morning, distinguished participants. I’m ISHIHARA Hirotaka, Minister of the Environment of Japan.
I would first like to express my deep appreciation to everyone at UNDESA, UNFCCC and UNESCAP for their dedicated efforts in organizing this conference.
As we tackle the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, we need to take integrated approaches and minimize trade-offs so we can achieve the SDGs.
At UNEA-6 in 2024 and UNEA-7 last year, Japan proposed “synergy resolutions” aimed at contributing to achievement of the SDGs, and both were adopted. These resolutions encourage the strengthening of synergies when implementing environmental agreements and other instruments, thereby contributing to the SDGs.
To effectively implement the concept of synergies on the ground, it is important to have approaches tailored to the natural and socio-economic conditions of each region. To this end, Japan has collaborated with partners such as UNESCAP, ADB and JICA to support development of the Asia-Pacific Synergies Report, which brings together good practices and policy guidance reflecting the perspectives and values of the Asia-Pacific region.
I would like to extend my sincere congratulations on the launch of this report today, and express my deep appreciation to all those involved in its preparation, including the dedicated authors, governments that provided case studies, and organizations and stakeholders that provided various forms of support.
As will be introduced later, this report contains more than one hundred practical cases provided by governments, and clearly presents key insights derived from these cases in order to promote synergies.
I am confident the examples in this report will serve as a useful guide for a wide range of stakeholders at various levels, including international organizations, national governments, local authorities and the private sector, when they promote the implementation of synergies on the ground.
In closing, I hope this report, through UNDESA, UNFCCC, UNESCAP and so on, serves as a chance to create a new wave in synergies originating from the Asia-Pacific region. Thank you very much.