Press Releases
Meeting between Foreign Minister MOTEGI and The Honorable John F. Kerry, United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate
August 31, 2021
On August 31, Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a meeting with the honorable John F. Kerry, United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate (SPEC).
- Minister Motegi, warmly welcoming the visit of SPEC John Kerry, stated that climate change is an important global challenge and that Japan will lead the efforts of the international community for global de-carbonization, together with the United States, looking ahead to the G20, COP26 and beyond.
- Minister Motegi also stated that climate change is a top-priority issue for Japan and at the Climate Summit, Prime Minister Suga declared Japan’s ambitious target for 2030, toward the carbon neutrality by 2050. Minister Motegi also underlined that in order to achieve the high-level target, innovation is the key and Japan will make the utmost use of its world-leading technologies.
- SPEC Kerry responded by introducing the U.S. administration's efforts to date in the area of climate change and his plans for future activities. Toward global de-carbonization, the two sides concurred on the importance of cooperation with developing countries, including major emitters, in their emission reduction efforts, including through the Japan-U.S. Climate Partnership and the Quad (Japan-US-Australia-India), and agreed to continue their close cooperation and collaboration for that purpose.