(this project is completed) From September 2020 to October 2021, the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation coordinated the organization of a series of events and activities aiming at strengthening the cooperation between Europe and Japan for climate action, covering topics such as the links between trade, industry and climate, the acceleration of renewable energy deployment and the role of local governments in low-carbon transition. 

The activities in this action were conducted within the framework of a Grant financed by GIZ as commissioned by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany and with funding provided by the European Union.

The European Union aims at becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050

The European Union is fighting climate change through ambitious policies at home and close cooperation with international partners. By 2050, Europe aims to become the world’s first climate-neutral continent. To do so, an ambitious target of -55% CO2 emission by 2030 in comparison with 1990 has been adopted in December 2020. Climate action is at the heart of the European Green Deal – an ambitious package of measures ranging from ambitiously cutting greenhouse gas emissions, to investing in cutting-edge research and innovation, to preserving Europe’s natural environment.

More information about EU climate action and the European Green Deal (European Commission)

If other countries follow the European lead, the world will be able to keep warming below 1.5 degrees. As the 3rd economy worldwide and a leader in the Asia-Pacific region, Japan is a strategic partner for the EU in the fight against climate change. The announcement in October 2020 of the new Japanese ambition to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 offers new perspectives for cooperation between Europe and Japan.

European and Japanese stakeholders: already working together for climate

Many exchanges contributing to the low-carbon transition are already active between businesses, local governments and research institutes from Europe and Japan. Examples include sectors such as renewable energy (offshore wind, solar, biomass...), hydrogen, sustainable consumer goods, green finance, clean mobility...

These successful partnerships take place in Japan and in Europe, but also in other parts of the world, including developing countries.

Supporting these economic exchanges, institutional dialogues covering energy, environment or transport gather on a regular basis high-level representatives from the European Commission and Japanese Ministries. Several EU Member-states are also engaged in an active cooperation with Japan for climate and sustainability.

A European project to strengthen the existing partnership

In order to support and strengthen this dynamic, the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation launched in fall 2020 the organization of a one year cycle of seminars, webinars and conferences, with the financial support of the European Union's Foreign Policy Instrument:

• RAISING THE AMBITION FOR CLIMATE - 19 October 2020
• EU-JAPAN ROUNDTABLE | KYOTO PROTOCOL, PARIS AGREEMENT AND BEYOND: THE EU AND JAPAN TOWARDS CARBON NEUTRALITY IN 2050 - 8 December 2020
• OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY: DEEPENING EU-JAPAN COOPERATION - 26-28 April 2021
• DEPLOYMENT OF LARGE-SCALE GREEN HYDROGEN PRODUCTION - 27 May 2021
• TRADE & INDUSTRY TOWARDS CARBON NEUTRALITY - 30 June 2021
• HYDROGEN IN TRANSPORT, INDUSTRY AND POWER GENERATION - 9 September, 2021
• EU-JAPAN CONFERENCE | CITIES, REGIONS, CLUSTERS: ON THE ROAD TO ZERO CARBON - 26-27 October, 2021

These events, gathering climate action leaders from Europe and Japan, covered various topics related to the transition to a low-carbon society, in order to support European and Japanese policymakers and industry representatives to share best practices, solutions, policies and technologies aiming to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.

In connection with other activities led by the EU-Japan Centre, including the implementation of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, the EU-Japan Regional Cooperation Helpdesk or the support to EU-Japan business cooperation in third countries, topics to be covered through this project include:

• Raising the national ambitions for climate
• Accelerating renewable energy deployment
• Moving towards a clean hydrogen
• Exploring the links between trade, industry and climate
• Mobilizing local governments for climate action

Photo credits: Unsplash