Third Green Innovation Strategy Meeting Held

1. Outline of the meeting

Date and time

November 11 (Wed.), 2020; from 8:30 to 10:30

Venue

Special Meeting Room 1 on the 17th floor, METI Main Building
Note: The meeting was held physically as well as using a video conference system as a measure for preventing expansion of the novel coronavirus disease.

Participants

Minister Kajiyama; Mr. Koizumi, Minister of the Environment; Mr. Kumano, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Mr. Mitani, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology;

Mr. Iida, Deputy Commissioner, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, and Chief Director-General for Energy, the Environment and Innovations Policies, METI; Mr. Yamashita, Director-General, Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau, METI;

Mr. Yamaji, Senior Vice President and Director General, Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth; expert members; and others

2. Details of the meeting

(1) Trends surrounding green innovations

On October 26, 2020, Prime Minister Suga delivered a policy speech at the 203rd extraordinary session of the Diet and declared that by 2050 Japan will aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero, that is, to realise a carbon-neutral, decarbonized society. In response, METI held the Third Green Innovation Strategy Meeting as an opportunity for holding discussions on response measures towards acceleration of innovations and social implementation thereof aiming at achievement of carbon neutrality by 2050. At the beginning of the meeting, Minister Kajiyama delivered an opening remark and stated that through this meeting, Japan should enrich deliberations on approaches to taking on carbon neutrality to be achieved by 2050 as Japan’s new growth strategy.

(2) Ideal social changes brought about by carbon neutrality and future directions of the meeting

Participants in the meeting held discussions on Japan’s future efforts while taking into consideration trends in the government of Japan and other countries toward achievement of carbon neutrality. Concerning the issue of carbon neutrality to be achieved by 2050, they decided to hold discussions on approaches to prioritized fields around the end of December 2020 at the Green Innovation Strategy Meeting. Based on the discussion results of the third meeting as well, METI will accelerate deliberations on this issue.

• Scene from the opening remark

Links to related information

• Green Innovation Strategy Meeting (Prime Minister’s Office site) (in Japanese)

Division in Charge

Energy and Environment Innovation Strategy Office, Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau