Press Release
June 22, 2023
- Global Environment
Results of the Ninth Environmental Policy Dialogue held by the Ministry of the Environment, Japan, and the Asian Development Bank
1. The Ministry of the Environment (MOE), Japan, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) held the ninth Policy Dialogue on June 19, 2023.
2. In this policy dialogue, both parties confirmed the progress based on the Letter of Intent (LOI) on environmental cooperation, agreed on the Work Program as concrete future cooperation, and signed a document to extend the LOI.
2. In this policy dialogue, both parties confirmed the progress based on the Letter of Intent (LOI) on environmental cooperation, agreed on the Work Program as concrete future cooperation, and signed a document to extend the LOI.
■ Background
The MOE Japan and the ADB have held annual environmental policy dialogues since the signing of the LOI on environmental cooperation in June 2014. The ninth Environmental Policy Dialogue was held based on the LOI.
■ Date and time
June 19, 2023, 10:00-12:30 (JST)
■ Venue
Asian Development Bank Headquarters, Metro Manila, Philippines
■ Key participants include
Asian Development Bank
Mr. Woochong UM, Managing Director General and Officer-in-Charge, Vice-President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development
Mr. Bruno CARRASCO, Director General concurrently Chief Compliance Officer, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department
Ministry of the Environment, Japan
ONO Hiroshi, Vice-Minister for Global Environmental Affairs
NISHIKAWA Junko, Director for Sustainable Infrastructure, Global Environment Bureau
Mr. Woochong UM, Managing Director General and Officer-in-Charge, Vice-President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development
Mr. Bruno CARRASCO, Director General concurrently Chief Compliance Officer, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department
Ministry of the Environment, Japan
ONO Hiroshi, Vice-Minister for Global Environmental Affairs
NISHIKAWA Junko, Director for Sustainable Infrastructure, Global Environment Bureau
■ Main points of discussion
The parties confirmed the progress of cooperation over the past 3 years in the 11 areas of the Work Program agreed on at the sixth Policy Dialogue held in 2020. Also, the parties shared recent policy trends of both organizations and discussed new cooperative activities.
As a result of the discussion, it was agreed that Methane Emissions Reduction and the Japan Platform for Redesign: Sustainable Infrastructure (JPRSI) would be positioned as new areas of cooperation, and that concrete cooperation would be advanced based on the Work Program in a total of 12 areas. A document was signed between Mr. Ono and Mr. Um to extend the Letter of Intent (LOI), including a new Work Program. The outline of the agreement is as follows.
(i) Climate Change
(Japan Fund for the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JFJCM) and methane emissions reduction)
・Expand JFJCM portfolio and accelerate the development of new projects financed by JFJCM.
(International Carbon Market)
・Cooperate in the implementation of the "Principles of High Integrity Carbon Markets" adopted in G7 Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment in April 2023.
(Fluorocarbons Life Cycle Management)
・Cooperate to support the establishment of a system for Fluorocarbons life cycle management, create an inventory of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and create related targets based on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).
(Methane Emissions Reduction)
・Promote the development of projects contributing to methane emission reduction, especially in the waste sector, including the “Fukuoka Method” (semi-aerobic landfill structure), with additional financial contribution by MOEJ to JFJCM
・In cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), explore potential methane emissions reduction project development in the agricultural sector.
(Climate Change Adaptation)
・Collaborate in capacity building and knowledge sharing on climate adaptation and resilience tool development, data utilization, etc.
(Zero Carbon and Resilient Cities)
・Cooperate in the implementation of the “Clean City Partnership Program (C2P2),” which was launched by the MOE Japan and JICA in February 2023 to provide comprehensive and synergistic support for urban issues.
(ii) Circular Economy
(Circular Economy and Waste Management)
・Cooperate in strengthening action for circular economy and resource efficiency to the private sector through the dissemination of the Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency Principles (CEREP) adopted at the G7 Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment in April 2023 and endorsed at the G7 Hiroshima Summit in May 2023.
(Plastic Pollution)
・Cooperate in addressing plastic pollution, consistent with international deliberations at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) for the formulation of a convention.
・Provide information and knowledge regarding marine plastic litter to the Regional Knowledge Center for Marine Plastic Debris at the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
(iii) Biodiversity
・Cooperate in sharing knowledge and developing project opportunities in relation to biodiversity and nature mainstreaming, including nature-based solutions (NbS), ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) and ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA).
(iv) Air, Transportation and Quality Infrastructure
(Air Quality Management)
・Under the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET), cooperate in building a Hybrid Air Quality Monitoring Network (HAQMN) using low-cost sensors (LCS).
(Environmentally Sustainable Transport)
・Cooperate to realize the Aichi 2030 Declaration adopted at the 14th “Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport Forum in Asia” held in October 2021.
(Japan Platform for Redesign: Sustainable Infrastructure (JPRSI))
・Encourage the participation of solution providers with advanced environmental technologies in ADB-financed projects, including through the JPRSI, which was established by MOEJ in 2020.
As a result of the discussion, it was agreed that Methane Emissions Reduction and the Japan Platform for Redesign: Sustainable Infrastructure (JPRSI) would be positioned as new areas of cooperation, and that concrete cooperation would be advanced based on the Work Program in a total of 12 areas. A document was signed between Mr. Ono and Mr. Um to extend the Letter of Intent (LOI), including a new Work Program. The outline of the agreement is as follows.
(i) Climate Change
(Japan Fund for the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JFJCM) and methane emissions reduction)
・Expand JFJCM portfolio and accelerate the development of new projects financed by JFJCM.
(International Carbon Market)
・Cooperate in the implementation of the "Principles of High Integrity Carbon Markets" adopted in G7 Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment in April 2023.
(Fluorocarbons Life Cycle Management)
・Cooperate to support the establishment of a system for Fluorocarbons life cycle management, create an inventory of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and create related targets based on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).
(Methane Emissions Reduction)
・Promote the development of projects contributing to methane emission reduction, especially in the waste sector, including the “Fukuoka Method” (semi-aerobic landfill structure), with additional financial contribution by MOEJ to JFJCM
・In cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), explore potential methane emissions reduction project development in the agricultural sector.
(Climate Change Adaptation)
・Collaborate in capacity building and knowledge sharing on climate adaptation and resilience tool development, data utilization, etc.
(Zero Carbon and Resilient Cities)
・Cooperate in the implementation of the “Clean City Partnership Program (C2P2),” which was launched by the MOE Japan and JICA in February 2023 to provide comprehensive and synergistic support for urban issues.
(ii) Circular Economy
(Circular Economy and Waste Management)
・Cooperate in strengthening action for circular economy and resource efficiency to the private sector through the dissemination of the Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency Principles (CEREP) adopted at the G7 Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment in April 2023 and endorsed at the G7 Hiroshima Summit in May 2023.
(Plastic Pollution)
・Cooperate in addressing plastic pollution, consistent with international deliberations at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) for the formulation of a convention.
・Provide information and knowledge regarding marine plastic litter to the Regional Knowledge Center for Marine Plastic Debris at the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
(iii) Biodiversity
・Cooperate in sharing knowledge and developing project opportunities in relation to biodiversity and nature mainstreaming, including nature-based solutions (NbS), ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) and ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA).
(iv) Air, Transportation and Quality Infrastructure
(Air Quality Management)
・Under the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET), cooperate in building a Hybrid Air Quality Monitoring Network (HAQMN) using low-cost sensors (LCS).
(Environmentally Sustainable Transport)
・Cooperate to realize the Aichi 2030 Declaration adopted at the 14th “Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport Forum in Asia” held in October 2021.
(Japan Platform for Redesign: Sustainable Infrastructure (JPRSI))
・Encourage the participation of solution providers with advanced environmental technologies in ADB-financed projects, including through the JPRSI, which was established by MOEJ in 2020.
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