Japan has decided to accept the Paris Agreement today. This Agreement is the first of its kind applicable to all Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and establishes a fair and effective framework to address climate change. Japan has been advocating throughout the climate negotiations that all countries must take part in the new framework. Japan’s vision is now realized in the Paris Agreement. Japan will submit its instrument of acceptance to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on November 8.

Climate change is a long-term global agenda item that needs to be addressed by the whole of the international community. The world has set a new start for resolving this challenging problem, and it is critical that all countries steadily reduce their greenhouse gas emissions based on the Paris Agreement. The negotiations concerning the detailed implementation guidelines of the Paris Agreement will start in full force. Japan is determined to play a central role in the negotiations of such rule-making so that the transparency of emission reduction by countries will be enhanced, thus achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

Japan will spare no effort in tackling the issue of global warming. My Cabinet will make global warming countermeasures a task of the highest priority. The Cabinet decided the Plan for Global Warming Countermeasures this May which clarifies its strategic measures for climate change, with a view to implementing the long term goal set forth by the Paris Agreement. The Plan also paved the way for Japan’s own national target of reducing greenhouse gas emission by 26% by fiscal year 2030. Japan will continue to work towards emission reduction at the national level by expanding a nationwide movement to reduce its emissions and to steadily achieve its goal. At the same time, Japan will proactively pursue the development of innovative technologies in the fields of the environment and energy so as to enable emission reduction without sacrificing economic growth. Japan will also utilize its environmental technology and experiences and steadily implement its commitment of implementing climate change-related assistance at the scale of 1.3 trillion yen in 2020 in developing countries, and will contribute to emission reduction worldwide.

Japan holds a tradition of living in harmony with nature and is equipped with world-class technology with which it overcame the previous oil crises. I would like to refine the strengths of our nation by maintaining the originality and inventive work promoted by both the public and private sectors so that Japan can continue to play a leading role in international efforts to address climate change and can fulfill our shared responsibility to safely hand our sole planet down to the generations of our children and grandchildren.