Speeches by hosts

Juro Saito
Chairman, Global Environmental Action (GEA)
Opening Ceremony, October 15, 2015
Good morning everybody. Honored by the presence of Their Imperial Highnesses the Crown Prince
and Crown Princess, and by the attendance of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, it is indeed a great
privilege to host this GEA International Conference here today. On behalf of the organizers, I would
like to express my deepest gratitude to those who have devoted their energies to organizing thisconference.
Abnormal weather phenomena have again been conspicuous throughout the world this year. Japantoo has been struck by a record number of typhoons and by unprecedented frequent torrential rains,causing enormous damage to people’s lives. I would like to express my sincere sympathy to all thepeople in affected areas who are, even now, struggling to rebuild their lives.
I feel that the crisis of the global environment caused by climate change is close at hand.
The IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) points out that it is very likely that the main cause ofglobal warming is due to human activity. Next month, COP21 will be held in Paris. Supposing that
it is the activities of us humans that has plunged the global environment - that is the foundation ofour existence - into crisis, then humanity must make every effort to avert the crisis by combining
our collective wisdom. Linking this effort with concrete action is an important mission of COP21.
The theme for this year’s GEA International Conference is “Policies and Measures to Cope with
Climate Change and towards a Sustainable Society,” that is, finding ways toward a sustainablefuture. Key experts active at the forefront of their respective disciplines have been invited fromaround the world to hold discussions with Japanese authorities in various fields. It is quite literally
an international conference to “combine our collective wisdom.” My hope is that the outcomes ofthe lively discussions to be held during this two-day conference will serve in some small way torouse international opinion for success of COP21.
In closing, on behalf of the organizers, I would again like to express our appreciation to allparticipants at the conference, both from home and abroad. Thank you.

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Tamayo Marukawa
Minister of the Environment, Japan
Luncheon, October 15, 2015
My name is Tamayo Marukawa and I was appointed as the Minister of the Environment in the lastCabinet reshuffle. I am 44 years old and have a three-year-old child. As a parent, I think about thefuture seriously, and so you are kindly requested to give me your advice.
Once again, it is a great pleasure for me to welcome you all today to the GEA International
Conference 2015 as the Minister of the Environment.
The GEA was founded by former Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita as an organization togalvanize international opinions to find solutions for global environmental issues and disseminaterecommendations.
I would like to express my gratitude to members of the GEA Organizing Committee, including theChairman Juro Saito, for their efforts in organizing this year’s international conference under thetheme of “Policies and Measures to Cope with Climate Change and towards a Sustainable Society.”
This is a very important year to strengthen efforts worldwide to achieve climate change measuresand a sustainable society.
Last month, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is international target up to 2030,
was adopted at the UN Summit.
The COP21 is scheduled to be held at the end of this year.
Climate change is an important issue that must be addressed by the entire world and is an imperative
task for the entire international community. We must do our best to create a new, fair, and effective
international framework in which all countries must participate, including major emitters.
In closing, I hope that this conference will be fruitful and that the outcomes will be transmitted tothe international community. Thank you.

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Ken Saito
State Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan
Luncheon, October 15, 2015
Good afternoon, everyone. Today, I would like to extend my most sincere welcome to you all as
one of the hosts of this year’s GEA International Conference 2015. As a parent with high school anduniversity-aged children, I would like to make an effort together with you all to leave a better planet
for our children.
First, I would like to express my deepest respect to all who actively offer guidance and take action
daily in order to pass on a clean global environment to future generations, where people around theworld can enjoy healthy and prosperous lives.
I also think that is very meaningful to have the participation of so many people and to holddiscussions on the theme of “Policies and Measures to Cope with Climate Change and towards aSustainable Society” at this conference on major milestones towards the upcoming COP21 in Paris.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is also focusing its efforts into the realization of
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was adopted at the UN Summit late last month,and the achievement of the post-2020 greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, aiming at agreement
at COP21, which will be held in Paris next month.
The Ministry would like to continue to work on promoting international cooperation in the food andagricultural sectors, and steadily promote the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture,forestry, fisheries, and the food industry, as well as measures for forest sinks, and the introduction ofrenewable energies in rural areas.
We would like to continue to faithfully implement a plan that was developed in August of this year
on adaptation to the impacts of climate change in agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector. In orderto create a sustainable and beautiful Earth, we hope to have active discussions on climate changemeasures and the realization of sustainable societies in the sessions following the luncheon.
In closing, I hope you will enjoy today’s lunch, which includes a variety of delicious agricultural
products of Japan, and consider publicizing these delicious foods in your own countries. Thank you.

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Masakazu Hamachi
Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japan
Welcome Reception hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, October 15, 2015
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my honor to welcome the distinguished participants of the GEA
International Conference 2015 from all over the world to Japan.
The year 2015 marks a significant milestone for global environmental issues, including both climatechange and sustainable development. Last month the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
was adopted in New York. And from the end of November, the COP21 will be held in Paris, where a
new international framework on climate change will be discussed.
Bearing this in mind, I am convinced that the theme of today’s Conference, “Measures to tackle
Climate Change and towards a Sustainable Society” is very timely and will lead to a fruitful
discussion on the future of our planet.
The 2030 Agenda is a historical document that crystalizes our long efforts towards realizing
sustainable development. The new Agenda has laid at its core five key elements, called the five ’P’s:
People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership. It has also forged an ambitious plan of action
covering various fields including women, health, education, disaster risk reduction, and quality
growth, all of which Japan has been emphasizing. With these core components, the new Agenda
will lead our efforts to ultimately eradicate poverty from the Earth and to transform this planet intoa sustainable one by 2030.
In order to address climate change effectively, the entirety international community is called towork together. For its part, Japan is determined to contribute to the adoption of a new internationalframework at COP21 which is fair, effective and applicable to all Parties.
From 2013 to 2014, Japan provided approximately 20 billion dollars to developing countries fromboth public and private sources for climate change mitigation and adaptation. In May of this year,
Japan and the Green Climate Fund signed a contribution arrangement confirming the conversion ofJapan’s pledge of 1.5 billion dollars to the fund.
Distinguished guests, the attendants of GEA International Conference 2015 are rich in experienceand have expertise in many fields that are integral to the world’s sustainable development. TheGovernment of Japan is of the view that we should unite our effort to build a new global partnership,
where all parties involved including Governments, the business community, academic community,
and NGOs come together to work for the future of global environment. While benefitting from yourexpertise, our government will make further efforts in cooperation with the international society tofind answers to the issues currently faced by the world. Thank you very much for your attention.

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Junzo Yamamoto
State Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, JapanLuncheon, October 16, 2015
Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Junzo Yamamoto and I am the State Minster of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. First, I would like to sincerely welcome all of you who havegathered here from around Japan and abroad for this year’s GEA International Conference 2015. And
I would like to express my appreciation to everyone involved in the preparation for this conference,
including members of the Global Environmental Action.
The mission of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is to create hardware andsoftware infrastructures in order to be able to achieve a vibrant economy and society to support thedynamic lives of people, guarantee daily security, create and maintain a good environment, and bringdiversity to districts. We have taken various measures in the environment sector to achieve a lowcarbon, naturally symbiotic, and recycling-oriented society.
CO2 emissions from sectors related to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism,
such as the transportation, housing, and building sectors, account for about 50% of all emissions inthe entire country. For this reason, we are actively involved in the development and promotion of
fuel-efficient and environmentally-friendly vehicles, improvement of energy efficiency in houses
and buildings, and the promotion of low-carbon urban development through the integration of urban
functions, in order to achieve the creation of a low-carbon society.
Based on the international consensus that the impacts from climate change are inevitable evenwith steps taken to fully implement CO2 emission reduction, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,
Transport and Tourism is taking steps to implement necessary measures, such as disaster prevention
measures for natural disasters and frequent droughts for which impacts are a concern. The Ministry
is also developing climate change adaptation plans together with the entire government, in order tostrategically promote adaptation measures, including monitoring and research on climate change.
I hope that this year’s GEA International Conference 2015 will greatly contribute to the sustainable
future of our planet through the lively discussions of experts on global environmental issues fromJapan and overseas. Thank you.

42Tsuneo Kitamura
Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, JapanLuncheon, October 16, 2015
My name is Tsuneo Kitamura and I am the Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade andIndustry. I would like to thank you for your participation in today’s GEA International Conference.
And I would like to show my respect for GEA’s many years of contributions and achievements
towards the compatibility between solutions for global environmental issues and the difficult issuesof sustainable development.
COP21 will be held at the end of this year. We expect that COP21 will be the time when a consensus
is reached on a new, fair, and effective framework with the participation of all major countries. With
the submission of reduction targets by about 150 countries and regions, including Japan, there is a
growing momentum for agreement in Paris.
We have advocated a system for many years, in which targets that have been set voluntarily by eachcountry are reviewed internationally. That the world is increasingly embracing this system is theresult of negotiations, and also serves the national interests of Japan.
Technology has become the key for drastic solutions to climate change issues. A major shift toa low-carbon society has become essential for the entire world through the development anddissemination of innovative technologies in the energy and environmental sectors.
An international conference, “Innovation for Cool Earth Forum” (ICEF), was founded last year asa platform for industry, academia, and government leaders of the world to conduct discussions topromote innovation. About 1,000 people from 70 countries gathered together at the second annual
meeting, which was held last week.
Exceptional low-carbon technologies have also been disseminated to developing countries withthe promotion of the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM), which has been expanded to 15 partnercountries.
Finally, I hope that the GEA International Conference will play an important role in boosting themomentum towards COP21, achieving climate change measures, and realizing a sustainable society.
Thank you.

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Yoshio Yatsu
Advisor, GEA/ Former Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan
Reception hosted by GEA, October 16, 2015
Good evening. My name is Yoshio Yatsu and I serve as an advisor of GEA, together with Mr.
Hiroshi Ohki.
First, I would like to thank all the official participants and staff in attendance at this reception, as
well as those who took on the tremendous task of providing simultaneous interpretation at thisinternational conference.
I believe that we have achieved significant results during the discussions over these past two days.
The theme of this year’s international conference was “Policies and Measures to Cope with Climate
Change and towards a Sustainable Society”. I would like to thank the distinguished participantsfrom various areas of expertise for their attendance and advices on many different aspects.
The Industrial Revolution, which occurred from the mid-18th century, took place under the principleof economy first. In the result, we found the environment of the earth, the basis of our livelihood,
had become polluted. Today, we all have a sense of apprehension about this crisis, and I am very
pleased that we have been able to hold meaningful discussions on this issue both yesterday andtoday.
However, the current situation has been created by human beings, and I am confident that it can besolved by the power of humanity.
Every participant offered useful suggestions and opinions during this conference. I think we must
use this opportunity to mobilize these ideas to create a secure foundation to continue our efforts inthe future. You are kindly requested to give us your advices.
It is my hope that the wisdom of the human race will be mobilized at COP21. I think it is importantfor us to continue driving our ideas and make a move to action with your guidance in the future.
Thank you.

44Mayuko Toyota
Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan
Reception hosted by GEA, October 16, 2015
Good evening, everyone. My name is Mayuko Toyota and I am the Parliamentary Vice-Minister ofEducation, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. I would like to say a few words on behalf ofthe Ministry.
I am truly pleased that the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology was able
to take part in the successful organization of the GEA International Conference over the past twodays as a host. I would like to express my appreciation to the distinguished attendees from Japanand overseas that came from afar to take part in this conference, as well as the GEA Secretariat,related stakeholders, and the Organizing Committee, including Chairman Juro Saito and Director
General Wakako Hironaka, for their efforts in organizing this conference. Thank you for yoursupport in making this conference a great success.
Enthusiastic discussions have taken place at this year’s GEA International Conference on climatechange and sustainable growth of this earth. Needless to say, the issues of climate change and global
warming, which have been identified as targets in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
adopted by the UN General Assembly in September of this year, are one of the most important
global issues to be addressed.
We will continue to respond to the various projected threats resulting from climate change, andscience and technology are being asked to play an important role in responding to these threats.
I believe it is of the utmost importance for people from different fields, including academia andindustry, to come together to achieve the concept of “science in society, and science for society,”and to have scientists and stakeholders in society come together to solve these issues by mobilizing
the power of science in various fields.
Based on the suggestions presented over the two days at the GEA International Conference, itwill be possible to develop the energy-saving technologies needed to adapt to global warming andreduce greenhouse gases, as well as enable highly accurate satellite and marine observations. To
achieve this, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology would like tocontribute to the achievement of a sustainable society through cutting-edge climate change measureswith the development of global observation technologies, generation of scientific and technologicalinnovation through the utilization of this observation data, and proactive implementation in society.
Earlier, Mr. Yatsu said that problems caused by human being can be solved by mobilizing their
wisdom and power. On the basis of this belief, I hope that this meeting and the future activities ofyou all will play an active role in the realization of a sustainable future for our children. I would liketo extend my best wishes for the health and success of all gathered here today and your families.
I would also like to join hands with you all in the creation of a bright future for the human race.
Thank you very much for your hard work. Thank you.
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