*The total number was updated from 290 to 291 by adding “CONSUMERS. JAPAN” (21 April, 2021).

19^th April, 2021

Calling for an Ambitious 2030 Target for Japan to Realize the Paris Agreement Goal

Japan Climate Initiative (JCI) today released the message “Calling for an Ambitious 2030 Target for Japan to Realize the Paris Agreement Goal”. This message is supported by 291 organizations (208 companies, 22 local governments, 61 NGOs and various other stakeholders) participating in JCI.

In publishing this message, JCI representative Takejiro Sueyoshi said, “I urge the Government of Japan to go beyond 45% and aim for an emission reduction of 50%.” A letter was sent under his name to Japan’s Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Minister of the Environment.

Attention:
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga
Minister for Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hiroshi Kajiyama
Minister of the Environment Shinjiro Koizumi

Going Beyond 45%- Aiming for a 50% Emission Reduction

Japan Climate Initiative (JCI) today released the message “Calling for an Ambitious 2030 Target for Japan to Realize the Paris Agreement Goal”. This message is supported by 290 organizations (208 companies, 22 local governments, 60 NGOs and various other stakeholders) participating in JCI.

In publishing this message, I urge the Government of Japan to go beyond 45% and aim for an emission reduction of 50%.

The European Union has already strengthened its target for 2030 from 40% to 55%, and the United States plans to announce a significantly increased reduction target of 50% at the Leaders Summit on Climate to be held from April 22. Japan needs to strengthen its emission reduction target from the current 26% to an ambitious level, one that better represents Japan’s responsibility as a leading economy and is more aligned with the European Union’s target of 55% and 50% for the United States.

This is the first time that Japanese companies have asked the government to raise Japan’s 2030 target to an ambitious level comparable to those in Europe and the United States under the banner of their own company names. About 140 pioneering large Japanese companies in a wide range of fields, including the IT, glass, chemicals, machinery, steel, pharmaceuticals, communications, shipping, food, retail, housing & construction, civil engineering, urban development, and finance & insurance sectors have joined the message. The “Network of Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs for Sustainable Business and Energy Future”, an organization consisting of about 280 small- and medium-sized enterprises nationwide that support the local economy, also endorses the message.

Major prefectures, including Tokyo, Nagano, and Tokushima, as well as the cities of Sapporo, Kyoto, Yokohama and Osaka among others, are listed. Furthermore, consumer groups, including the Japanese Consumers’ Co-operative Union with about 30 million members, religious groups, such as Soka Gakkai, as well as universities, research institutes, NGOs and organizations in various other fields have joined the message. The names of companies and organizations that support this call are an excellent and genuine representation of a broad cross-section of Japanese business and society.

To avoid a climate crisis, I urge the Japanese government to determine an ambitious 2030 target in order to play an active and responsible role as a leading global economy and building trust with the international community.

19^th April, 2021
Japan Climate Initiative Representative Takejiro Sueyoshi

List of endorsing organizations PDF
*The total number was updated from 290 to 291 by adding “CONSUMERS. JAPAN” (21 April, 2021)

JCI Message to the Government of Japan

19^th April 2021

Calling for an Ambitious 2030 Target for Japan to Realize the Paris Agreement Goal

The IPCC’s Global Warming of 1.5 ˚C Special Report, released in 2018, shows that emission reductions of about 45% are necessary by 2030 to achieve the 1.5 ˚C target needed to avoid a serious climate crisis. Since the 45% emission reduction referred to in the IPCC report represents emissions at a global level, Japan has the responsibility to aim higher as a developed country. The European Union has already strengthened its target for 2030 from 40% to 55%, and the United States plans to announce a significantly increased reduction target of 50% at the Leaders Summit on Climate to be held from April 22.

We call on the Japanese government to strengthen its emission reduction target from the current 26% to an ambitious level, one that better represents Japan’s responsibility as a leading economy and is more aligned with the European Union’s target of 55% and 50% for the United States, a minimum of 45%. We also call on them to expand the renewable power to 40-50% by 2030 and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, such as coal generation, to successfully meet these targets.

Climate change impacts on extreme weather events around the world, such as heat waves, wildfires, droughts, and floods. UN Secretary General António Guterres pointed out that the current emission reduction targets from each country are far from the required levels and urged major emitters to submit higher targets by COP26 in November this year.

The message of the JCI is supported by more than 290 non-state actors representing a broad cross-section of Japanese business and society. These include large corporations from numerous fields, small- and medium-sized enterprises nationwide that support the local economy, local governments from the north (Hokkaido) to the south (Kyushu), consumer groups, religious groups, universities, research institutes, and NGOs.

We urge the Government of Japan to respond to the science shown in the IPCC report and set an ambitious 2030 emission reduction target to realize the goal of the Paris Agreement.

List of endorsing signatories (alphabetical order)　
(Total 291: including 208 companies, 22 local governments and 61 NGOs and other stakeholders)

*Total number was updated from 290 to 291 by adding “CONSUMERS. JAPAN” on 20, April, 2021

Companies (Total 208)

Local governments (Total 22)

NGOs and other stakeholders (Total 61)　*04,21,2021 added “CONSUMERS. JAPAN”

▶JCI Comment on the new GHG target of 46% by 2030 (22 April, 2021)