On the evening of June 5, the DPJ's Global Warming Countermeasures Headquarters (Chair: DPJ Vice President Katsuya Okada) held a symposium in Tokyo entitled "The DPJ's Strategies for Fighting Global Warming" in preparation for the future enactment of the Global Warming Countermeasures Basic Law.

At the start of the meeting, Chair Okada announced that on the previous day (June 4) the DPJ had submitted to the House of Councillors the Global Warming Countermeasures Basic Bill. He stated his hope that the symposium would serve as a springboard for debate telling attendees "we must work aggressively to prevent global warming and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. If technological improvements are made, then I believe current high oil prices represent an opportunity. "

Attendees then heard two stimulating keynote speeches, firstly from Takejiro Sueyoshi, special adviser to the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative, who spoke on the subject of "Global warming: new dimensions to international competition in the 21st century", and secondly from Toru Morotomi, Associate Professor at Kyoto University, Graduate School of Economics who spoke on the subject of "the need to introduce an emissions trading system".

Mr. Sueyoshi stated that the time has now come to support, from financial aspect, corporations that are able to develop low-carbon technology. He told attendees "the fabric of our countries and our industry will change. Countries that can develop low-carbon technology will become world leaders".

Professor Morotomi began by saying that "today is a landmark day". He continued by stressing, "we need to go beyond the dichotomy of environmental issues and economic issues. A low carbon or carbonless society is in the national interest of Japan". He called for the introduction of a system to limit emissions volumes, saying that such a system should be designed to reward companies that commercialize low carbon technology.

Mr. Sueyoshi praised the DPJ saying, "The very fact that the DPJ have drawn up this bill is commendable. Financial aspects must be taken into account when considering how to succeed in international competition". He also added "we should take an ethical perspective on the 2.3 billion people who are living on ¥200 per day".

Professor Morotomi described the DPJ bill as "worthy of high praise because it incorporates all of the issues that have been put off since the Kyoto Protocol." He particularly praised the "ambitious [decision] to select 1990 as the reference year". He said the G8 Summit at Toyako, Hokkaido "should not be for talking about the past but for breaking out of the current vicious circle. Japan needs to state its vision."

Okada explained the major points of the bill and stressed the significance of global warming prevention, saying, "We must shift away from our dependence on fossil fuels. We must make a major attempt to implement the biggest transformation since the Industrial Revolution". In response to a question from the press, Okada expressed his strong desire to achieve progress on environmental issues saying, "Drawing up this bill is not the end of the road. Some people in the ruling coalition have been encouraged by our bill, and say a Global Warming Countermeasures Basic Law is necessary. If possible, we want to pass the bill with cross-party support. If not, we will write the bill into law after we have achieved a change of government. "

The symposium was moderated by Next Minister of the Environment Tomiko Okazaki.

(08/06/05)