28 April 2010: The 19th Japan-EU Summit convened in Tokyo, Japan, on 28 April 2010. Besides discussing Japan-EU bilateral relations, Summit leaders exchanged views on a number of key international questions including climate change.
The resulting Japan-EU Joint Statement contains a section on climate change and the environment, in which the Summit leaders welcome the marked convergence between Japan and the EU on this issue since the last Summit. They share the conviction that Japan and the EU should exercise joint leadership, achieving their current targets under the Kyoto Protocol, and strive for early adoption of a robust and effective legally binding agreement that establishes a fair and effective new international framework with participation by all major economies, respecting experience learned from the Kyoto Protocol.
They reaffirm their association with the Copenhagen Accord, and consider that the UNFCCC negotiating process should lead to the creation of a comprehensive agreement based on the Accord, recognizing the scientific view that the increase in global temperature should be held below 2C. They call for remaining UNFCCC Parties to associate themselves with the Accord and to submit ambitious targets or actions.
The Joint Statement also identifies priorities for the exercise of Japan-EU joint leadership in the field of climate change and the promotion of the development of a sustainable low carbon global economy, such as: striving for early adoption of a robust and effective legally binding agreement, which establishes a fair and effective international framework with participation by all major economies, with the shared view that the UNFCCC negotiating process should lead the discussion to create one comprehensive agreement based on the Accord; encouraging efforts in various countries, in particular other major economies, to take further ambitious actions while ensuring transparency, to reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 50% by 2050 against 1990 levels and reduce GHG emissions by developed countries in aggregate by 80% or more; cooperating in the development of domestic emissions trading systems; pursuing the reform of the Clean Development Mechanism, including expansion of areas such as Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and the introduction of new mechanisms; continuing with the implementation of the fast-start funding activities for 2010-2012 as part of concrete assistance programmes or projects for mitigation and adaptation measures by developing countries, and encouraging transparency and the mobilisation of private finance; cooperating in the development, deployment and transfer of technologies in sectors such as power generation, industry, transportation, architecture, residential, agriculture, forestry, and CCS; and establishing REDD-plus mechanism, while ensuring its environmental integrity.
Summit leaders also confirmed that Japan and the EU will step up cooperation aiming at the reduction and elimination of barriers to trade in environmental goods and services in appropriate fora. [Japan-EU Joint Statement]