The European Union (“EU”) and Japan created a Green Alliance and issued a document on May 27 that defines their joint goals on climate change. They committed to green growth and reaching carbon neutrality by 2050, reaffirming their commitment to the Paris Agreement.
The creation of the alliance comes ahead of the UN climate conference in Glasgow in November. The event should define the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
In the meantime, the EU and Japan have promised to promote green economy goals. They noted that they will help developing nations transition to low-carbon energy use. The two sides also stressed that they would work within the G20 to ensure global commitment to a carbon-neutral future. Additionally, the EU and Japan are committed to promoting innovation in green technologies.
Within the Green Alliance, the EU and Japan set five priority areas of cooperation.
The sides put the biggest focus on energy transition. Special attention will be given to EU-Japan cooperation on developing renewable energy technologies such as offshore wind, batteries, hydrogen and more. Moreover, the EU and Japan will work together on carbon recycling and energy markets reform.
The two sides also listed environmental protection as one of their biggest joint goals. The EU and Japan promised to increase cooperation on supply chain sustainability, the circular economy and resource efficiency.
Furthermore, they promised to work on regulatory issues and environmentally friendly business solutions together. The two sides are also calling on EU-Japan business communities to enhance their ties.
The EU-Japan Green Alliance goes on to call for more joint efforts on research and development. The initiative further promotes bioeconomic collaboration. It also encourages working together on low-carbon technologies and decarbonization.
Moreover, the two sides agreed to cooperate on sustainable finance.
Finally, the EU and Japan called on all other countries to create short and medium-term plans on climate change action.
Author: Vanja Popović
