Statement by Minister KOIZUMI Shinjiro, at G7 Climate and Environment Ministers' Meeting (May 21, 2021)

Our task this year is to ensure the "success of the two COPs," CBD

COP15 and UNFCCC COP26. This G7 meeting is a good opportunity to build momentum towards achieving this goal. Once again, I am grateful to the UK's initiative.

Redesigning our socioeconomic system is imperative for the conservation of biodiversity, which is the foundation of human existence, and for the realization of a society in harmony with nature.

We should mobilize all available resources towards this end.

Let me introduce three areas Japan is focusing on, in order to "reset

our relationship with nature."

First, the goal of 30 by 30. Japan joined the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People at the One Planet Summit. Japan, together with

G7 countries, will do our utmost to halt the unprecedented trend of biodiversity loss and move towards recovery by 2030.

Second, our collaboration with the private sector. The Ministry of the

Environment and Keidanren, Japan's largest business federation, have been working together for about 30 years to mainstream biodiversity.

The number of companies that have included biodiversity in their management principles has almost doubled in the last 10 years to reach

255. This is the highest level in the world.

Many of these Japanese companies are contributing to biodiversity conservation through their cutting-edge technologies, products, and services. Our Ministry and Keidanren are collecting these good practices.

We hope to share with the world concrete solutions that will contribute to achieving the new international framework, the "Post-2020 Global

Biodiversity Framework."

Third, the "Satoyama Initiative." Through this initiative, we have accumulated local good practices promoting sustainable use of local resources and biodiversity conservation. They also contribute to climate change countermeasures and the transition to a circular economy. Going forward, we plan to support developing countries' efforts in revising national biodiversity strategies and action plans based on the concept of the "Satoyama Initiative."

Japan will continue to develop this initiative together with its many partners to provide solutions to realize a virtuous cycle between the environmental protection and local economy revitalization. Let's work together to lead the two COPs to success.

Thank you, Chair.