31 May 2011
EU-Japan Summit Focuses on Climate Change, Green Growth and Energy
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In the joint press statement issued at the conclusion of the 20th EU-Japan Summit, the leaders reaffirm the importance of greening the economy for achieving sustainable development, their commitment for steady implementation of the Cancun Agreements, and to contribute to ensuring energy security and developing a low-carbon economy.

28 May 2011: President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso, and Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan reaffirmed the close partnership between the EU and Japan and discussed climate change, green growth and energy at the 20th EU-Japan Summit.

During the Summit, which took place on 28 May 2011, in Brussels, Belgium, the leaders agreed to start the process for parallel negotiations for a comprehensive free trade and a binding cooperation agreement covering political, global and other sectors in a comprehensive manner. In the joint press statement issued at the conclusion of the Summit, the EU and Japan underscore that climate change remains an urgent global issue, and agree to cooperate with a view to exerting leadership together in the field of climate change, promoting the development of safe and sustainable low-carbon global economies, consistent with the international objective of limiting the increase in global average temperature below 2°C. To this end, they indicate their commtment to strive for steady implementation of the Cancun Agreements and the adoption of a robust, global, fair, effective, comprehensive and legally-binding agreement with participation by all major economies. The Durban Climate Change Conference in December 2011 is expected to constitute a stepping stone in this direction.

In their joint press statement, Summit leaders reaffirm the importance of greening the economy for achieving sustainable development. They also share the view that the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD or Rio+20) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2012, offers an opportunity to raise the profile of the green economy, including resource efficiency, at the highest possible level and to promote it as a new model for sustainable global economic growth. They further reach a common recognition on the importance of implementing the outcomes of the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), held in October 2010.

Summit leaders commit to continue and reinvigorate their bilateral energy cooperation on secure, safe and sustainable energy policies, and energy-related research and technology development, to contribute to ensuring energy security and developing a low-carbon economy. They also commit to continue to advance these goals through cooperation in the appropriate international organizations and initiatives. [Joint Press Statement]

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