During a state visit by the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the US, organized to honor the seven-decade partnership between the two countries, Prime Minister Abe and US President Barack Obama reaffirmed their countries' commitment to enhancing the bilateral partnership in a number of areas, including the environment and climate change, space and energy.
The leaders announced the two countries would cooperate to address climate change and environmental degradation, and to deliver secure, affordable, sustainable and safe energy.
28 April 2015: During a state visit by the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the US, organized to honor the seven-decade partnership between the two countries, Prime Minister Abe and US President Barack Obama reaffirmed their countries’ commitment to enhancing the bilateral partnership in a number of areas, including the environment and climate change, space and energy. The leaders announced the two countries would cooperate to address climate change and environmental degradation, and to deliver secure, affordable, sustainable and safe energy.
In the US-Japan Joint Vision Statement, issued on 28 April 2015 in Washington D.C., US, the two countries state they are “building a partnership that addresses global challenges” and aims to: address climate and environmental degradation that are among “the greatest threats facing humanity;” deliver secure, affordable, sustainable and safe energy; eradicate poverty and achieving sustainable development; and promote human security.
The US and Japan also reaffirmed their commitment to enhance the bilateral partnership by, inter alia, harnessing science, technology and innovation for the future, and promoting sustainable development globally.
On harnessing science, technology and innovation, the two countries will, among other things: increase cooperation in Earth observations and Earth science; continue to cooperate on missions to measure global precipitation and carbon; strengthen civil nuclear cooperation; enhance dialogue on energy, including through the US-Japan Energy Strategic Dialogue and Energy Policy Dialogue; and strengthen collaboration in the area of clean energy technologies for a low-carbon society, including through cooperation in research and development (R&D), carbon capture and storage (CCS), and clean and efficient energy development and deployment.
On promoting sustainable development globally, the US and Japan state they will, inter alia: work to achieve a successful climate change agreement at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, France, in December 2015; work to assist countries vulnerable to climate change, including through the Green Climate Fund (GCF); support the adoption of a Montreal Protocol amendment to phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs); and work to alleviate air pollution in the Asia-Pacific region.
The US reiterated its greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction target of 26-28% by 2025, and Japan affirmed it “intends to submit an ambitious target, as early as possible and well in advance” of the Paris Conference.
According to President Obama, speaking at a joint press conference, the two leaders agreed to continue close coordination on climate change and discussed the importance of all major economies submitting ambitious emission reduction targets to enable a strong agreement in Paris. Pointing out that the US and Japan have made the largest pledges to the GCF, he said both countries were committed to “helping nations around the world seize the opportunities of transitioning to low-carbon economies.” [US White House Press Release on Joint Vision Statement] [US White House Fact Sheet on US-Japan Cooperation] [US White House Press Release on Joint Press Conference]