Webinar Titled “Businesses Contributing to Adaptation to Climate Change: With and Beyond SDGs - Creation of Business Opportunities Overseas through Contributions to Adaptation to Climate Change toward Achievement of SDGs -” to be Held

1. Background

The global community has been facing more extreme and frequent weather events and natural disasters than in the past, as seen in the torrential rains, record heat and frequent wildfires, and these disasters impacting people’s lives and livelihoods, economies, societies, infrastructures and other broad areas in a variety of ways.

To address climate change, “measures for adaptation to climate change” are considered important as an approach to reducing the impacts of climate change which are already emerging and to preparing for potential risks, in addition to taking “measures for alleviating climate change” as an approach to curbing greenhouse gas emissions. As the global community has been raising awareness of the importance of measures for adaptation to climate change, it is encouraging countries that are vulnerable to impacts of climate change, in particular, many developing countries, to take such measures.

Against this backdrop, METI considers the potential of Japanese companies for providing contributions to developing countries’ “adaptation” to climate change through such companies’ technologies and services as a source of business opportunities, and it has been encouraging the private sector to establish “businesses contributing to developing countries’ adaptation to climate change” and also supporting the sector. As countries around the world are focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and are paying attention to businesses that are committed to solutions to SDGs using their own products and services, METI will aim to promote businesses that are contributing to adaptation to climate change as efforts for achieving SDGs by 2030 and focusing on the future beyond the achievement, i.e., the “SDGs + beyond” concept.

METI will hold this webinar as part of its “FY2020 Research for Measures for Addressing Global Warming and Other Issues (Project for Making Visible Japanese Companies’ Contributions to Developing Countries’ Adaptation to Climate Change in Certain Fields).” The webinar will explain the potential for businesses that contribute to developing countries’ adaptation to climate change, case examples of such efforts and METI’s efforts toward providing companies with support measures, and it will also hold a panel discussion on the creation of business opportunities involving businesses that are contributing to developing countries’ adaptation to climate change.

2. Outline of the webinar

Date and time: November 26 (Thur.), 2020; from 14:00 to 16:00

Meeting style: Webinar (real-time video streaming)

3. Program

Opening remarks

• Mr. Nagata Toshiaki, Director, Global Environment Partnership Office, Environmental Policy Division, Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau, METI

Speech
Title: SDGs Reaching a Turning Point and Trends in Businesses Contributing to Adaptation to Climate Change as a Key to SDGs

• Dr. Hiramoto Tokutaro, Director, SDGs Promotion Center, Kanazawa Institute of Technology

Speech
Title: Prospects and Expectations for Businesses Contributing to Adaptation to Climate Change (tentative)

• Ms. Saito Mizuki, Deputy Director, Global Environment Partnership Office, Environmental Policy Division, Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau, METI

Speeches
Theme: Good Practices of Businesses Contributing to Developing Countries’ Adaptation to Climate Change

• Mr. Nakasaka Koji, Manager, Agriculture Business Division, Business Management Headquarters, OPTiM Corporation

  Title: Development of Smart Agricultural Businesses Taking Advantage of AI and IoT - Creation of Technologies that are Making Global Food Production Sustainable -

• Mr. Sonomoto Tatsuya, Director, System Solution Business Unit, Furono Electric Co., Ltd.

  Title: Explanations of Small X-band Meteorological Radar and Use Examples - Provision of Technologies for Meteorological Monitoring of Local Areas as a Measure for Addressing Extreme Weather Events Frequently Caused by Climate Change-

• Ms. Miura Hitomi, Director Responsible, ESG Management Promotion Division, Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.

  Title: Safely Paving the Way to the Future: Supporting Infrastructures Essential to People’s Lives Provided by Businesses Contributing to Adaptation to Climate Change

Panel discussion
Theme: Creation of Overseas Business Opportunities through Contributions to Adaptation to Climate Change in Communities, towards Achievement of SDGs

Moderator:

• Dr. Hiramoto Tokutaro, Director, SDGs Promotion Center, Kanazawa Institute of Technology

Panelists:

• Mr. Nakasaka Koji, Manager, Agriculture Business Division, Business Management Headquarters, OPTiM Corporation
• Mr. Sonomoto Tatsuya, Director, System Solution Business Unit, Furono Electric Co., Ltd.
• Ms. Miura Hitomi, Director Responsible, ESG Management Promotion Division, Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.

Closing remarks

• Ms. Takagi Kaori, Assistant Director, Global Environment Partnership Office, Environmental Policy Division, Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau, METI

4. How to apply

To attend the webinar, complete advance registration by 12:00 p.m., November 24 (Tue.), 2020.

5. Contact counter

If you have any inquiries about the webinar, email EY Japan Co., Ltd., to which METI has commissioned the event.

Secretariat: Division of Climate Change and Sustainability Services, FAAS Business Department, EY Japan Co., Ltd.

Personnel in charge: M. Ishii and M. Sakakibara

Email address : adaptation20@jp.ey.com

Division in Charge

Global Environment Partnership Office, Environmental Policy Division, Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau