Speeches by hosts

Juro Saito (Chair, Global Environmental Action)
Opening Speech, October 14, 2011

It is a great honor to hold the GEA International Conference 2011 today with theattendance of H.I.H. the Crown Prince Naruhito as well as the participation of Prime
Minister Yoshihiko Noda, Minister of the Environment Goshi Hosono, and otherJapanese government ministers. I would like to take this opportunity to express mysincere appreciation to the experts from both Japan and overseas who have taken
valuable time from their busy schedules to attend this international conference. Onbehalf of the organizers, I would also like once again to thank everyone involved fortheir efforts in helping us to organize this conference.
First, I would like to express my deepest sympathies to those who have been affectedby the Great East Japan Earthquake and have had to evacuate their homes. The recent
natural disaster also caused unprecedented nuclear accidents, and measures to address
radioactive contamination have greatly slowed recovery and reconstruction work in
the region. Nuclear incidents that can result in global-scale environmental pollution
are not just a domestic problem but constitute an international issue where the entire
world shares a sense of crisis. I greatly regret the concern that these accidents inJapan have caused global citizens around the world. At the same time, I wish, asa Japanese, to express my appreciation once again for the warm and encouraging
support delivered to us so quickly from around the world in relation to not only thenatural disaster but also the nuclear accidents.
This GEA International Conference brings together experts in the various related
fields from Japan and overseas to engage in discussions on the theme of “BuildingSustainable Societies through Reconstruction: Working with the InternationalCommunity for Regenerating Japan.” I am confident that this two-day conference
will see dynamic debates where we discuss from an international perspective what
constitutes a truly rich life in light of the recent disaster and that the conference willoffer future directions for a new Japan.
Of course, we will not stop at just words; GEA will make efforts to translate theconference outcomes into meaningful policy proposals and effective measures.
On behalf of the organizers, I would like to extend my best wishes to all participantsfor a most fruitful conference.

36 |Goshi Hosono (Minister of the Environment)Awards Ceremony, Contest for Corporate Activities on Biodiversity, October 14, 2011

Congratulations to all of you on the opening of GEA International Conference 2011.
Before we turn to the awards for Corporate Activities on Biodiversity, I want to take amoment to thank everyone here for your truly generous support and cooperation since theevents of March 11. I see we have quite a few participants from abroad this year, so I would
also like to take this opportunity to convey our gratitude for all the cooperation and aid wehave received from overseas.
The members of GEA have earned a reputation as environmental leaders who havehelped set the trend for strong action through environmental initiatives geared to their own
sector, be it government, business, or academia. We at the Ministry of the Environment
were extremely gratified by your choice of this year’s theme, Building Sustainable Societies
through Reconstruction. There is no question that Japan needs to marshal the world’s knowhow to surmount the immediate challenges we face today, including the nuclear power crisis.
But we need to go about it in a responsible manner, one step at a time, never forgetting theneed for sustainability. I am confident that today’s conference will yield a variety of usefulsuggestions on that score, and I want to take this opportunity to promise that I will do myutmost to make the most of those ideas going forward.
Now a word about this year’s awards ceremony. From the government’s perspective, thetenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity(COP 10) in Aichi last year was a huge step forward in terms of Japan’s commitment
to biodiversity. I look on this year’s awards ceremony as a wonderful opportunity toacknowledge the contribution of all those who are working so hard through their businesses
or civic groups to support Japan in this undertaking.
This year, as Minister of the Environment, I am pleased to confer two Minister’s prizes
for corporate activity. The first goes to the people at Toyota Motor Corporation. Toyota is
well known in Japan for its longstanding and wide-ranging conservation efforts at Hakusan
National Park, carried out through the Toyota Shirakawa-Go Eco-Institute. We are truly
indebted to all of you at Toyota for your hard work and your contribution to biodiversity
over the years.
The other Environment Minister’s prize goes to Suntory Holdings Limited for its
environmental initiatives, including its Natural Water Sanctuary Project to expand waterresource forests and its wild bird protection program. I understand that Suntory has put
a great deal of effort into environmental education for children in particular. So, to all thepeople at Suntory Holdings, I want to convey our deepest appreciation.
These are the companies that have garnered the Minister of the Environment Prize thisyear, but many others are being honored here today for their biodiversity efforts, and I wantto thank every one of you—each individual and each company—from the bottom of myheart.
The decade from 2011 through 2020 has been designated the United Nations Decadeon Biodiversity, and, like the rest of the world, Japan must continue to work toward its
biodiversity goals. I would like to ask not only this year’s award winners but everyone here
today, and indeed everyone in Japan, to lend your assistance to these efforts.
In closing, I want to share my hopes that these kinds of activities will help spread a better
understanding and appreciation of biodiversity issues in Japan and around the world. And
last but not least, I want to offer my best wishes for the success of GEA International
Conference 2011. Congratulations to you all.

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Nobutaka Tsutsui (Senior Vice Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)
Awards Ceremony, Contest for Corporate Activities on Biodiversity, October 14, 2011

Allow me to share a few thoughts with you in connection with this year’s awards ceremony
for Corporate Activities on Biodiversity. First, my warmest compliments to the winners. Icongratulate you with all my heart. And I’d like to extend my special commendations to thewinners of the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Prize: the Shiga Bank and theWomen’s Liaison Council for Hokkaido Fisheries Cooperative Associations.
Of course, not only the winners of the Minister’s prizes but, as Minister Hosono mentioned,
everyone being honored here today has worked proactively to preserve biodiversity andfoster a sustainable society, and I want to convey my deep appreciation to all of you.
In the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries industries, production requires coexistencewith nature and obedience to its laws. That is why I strongly believe that the existenceof agriculture, forestry, and fisheries industries is vital to biodiversity and creation of asustainable society. And I also believe that the existence of sustainable agriculture, forestry,
and fishing industries is contributing in important ways to biodiversity and the developmentof a sustainable society.
This year, 2011, has been designated International Year of Forests. The function of forestsand forestry is not just to produce lumber and forest products, although that is an importantpurpose. In the past people tended to regard that as their primary function, but in recentyears we have come to see that the forests themselves play a crucial role in maintaining andpreserving ecosystems, preventing global warming, and protecting the global environment.
Today, these latter functions are a primary focus of the ministry’s forestry policies andprograms.
The Great East Japan Earthquake has affected countless people, and I want to take amoment to offer my condolences to all the victims. I would also note that the area hit by thedisaster is one of Japan’s major centers of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. The earthquake
and tsunami, together with the release of radiation from the stricken nuclear power plant,
have caused tremendous damage not only to those industries but to the natural environment
as a whole. We are now working at full capacity to speed the rehabilitation in the region
on the understanding that this is not only the recovery of the agriculture, forestry, andfisheries industries but also the recovery of the natural environment, and that the two areinextricable.
After listening to International Renewable Energy Agency Director General Amin’s keynote
speech, I am more convinced than ever that reconstruction and rehabilitation must involve
more than just restoring things to their previous state. We must redouble our commitment
to environmental conservation, and as an essential component of that effort, we need togive renewable energy a key role in the reconstruction process.
In the months and years ahead, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries willcontinue to work in close cooperation with all of you to meet these challenges. Today, please
accept my sincere congratulations.

38 |Takashi Kii (Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology)
Luncheon, October 14, 2011

I am honored to say a few words on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Culture,Sports, Science and Technology, or MEXT. We are delighted that eminent experts fromJapan and around the world who have great awareness of global environmental issues andwho are taking concrete steps to address them have gathered here today to exchange views.
As you know, Japan and particularly Eastern Japan suffered extensive damage
from the large earthquake and ensuing tsunami that struck the nation in March
this year. The Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station
was also severely damaged at that time, and efforts to resolve the accident continue to thisvery day. From the time immediately after the disaster until today, we have received warm
support from people throughout the world in the face of this situation that can even beconsidered a national crisis. On behalf of the people of Japan, I would like to express mydeep appreciation.
To repay the world for the support it has offered us, I feel very strongly once
again today that Japan must reconstr uct with dynamism from the earthquake,tsunami, and the nuclear power station accident.
Japan’s New Growth Strategy envisions green innovation and life innovation as pillars forthe future growth of our country. Moreover, the Fourth Science and Technology Basic
Plan released in August this year places priority not only on the promotion of the two key
innovations of green innovation and life innovation, but also on reconstruction and revival
from the earthquake. MEXT also intends to put maximum focus on reconstruction andrevival from the disaster from the two perspectives of science and technology as well as
education and human resources development.
MEXT would like to contribute to green innovation by promoting research anddevelopment toward the introduction of renewable energy as well as toward climatechange prediction and risk evaluation that accurately assess the state of the earth. We hope
to repay the world for the support that we have received, through these initiatives andthrough successfully creating in Japan a new sustainable society that can broadly serve as aninternational standard.
I hope that this conference deepens the discussion on building sustainable societies throughreconstruction and marks a major step forward in Japan’s working with the international
community for regenerating our nation.
In closing, I would like to express my great appreciation to GEA Chair Juro Saito and theother members of the Organizing Committee as well as GEA Director General Wakako
Hironaka and the other members of the Secretariat for their hard work to arrange thisconference. I also wish to thank all the participants for their attendance.

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Keiro Kitagami (Vice Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry)
Luncheon, October 14, 2011

I am delighted to say a few words on the occasion of the GEA InternationalConference 2011. Japan has received much warm encouragement and support frompeople around the world since the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, and I
would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation.
Japan has initiated a government-wide review of its energy policy in light of
the recent natural disaster and the nuclear accident at the Tokyo Electric Power
Company’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. Energy policy discussions werelaunched at the beginning of this month with an eye to drafting a New Basic Energy
Plan by next summer. We intend to consider the best mix of energy sources forthe medium to long term while listening to the views of people from every part ofsociety about what mix the Japanese people can be comfortable. We will also look at
global warming countermeasures, recognizing that they are inextricably linked to thereview of our energy policy.
The theme of this year’s GEA International Conference is “Building Sustainable
Societies through Reconstruction,” and the key to achieving this is to construct astrong energy system that can serve as the society’s core.
Renewable energy is indispensable in creating sustainable societies. Japan will promote
the use of renewable energy not only for the reconstruction from the recent disaster,
but also for the creation of low-carbon societies around the world. I understandthat one of the afternoon sessions will discuss “Realizing Vibrant Low-Carbon
Communities Built around Renewable Energy,” and I look forward to a productive
exchange of views at that session.
In closing, I would like to offer my best wishes to everyone gathered here today for
their health and success and to express my hope that the discussions at the GEA
International Conference 2011 will open the way to a sustainable, new economy andsociety.

40 |Ryuji Yamane (Parliamentary Senior Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs)
Welcome Reception, October 14, 2011

Ladies and Gentlemen: It is a great pleasure to greet all of you here for the GEA
International Conference 2011. I want to extend my sincere gratitude and a warm
welcome to all of you who have taken time from your busy schedules and particularly
those who have traveled great distances from abroad to attend the conference.
I believe that GEA performs a very important function by providing a valuable forum
for the free and unfettered exchange of views on global environmental issues amongpeople with wide range of perspectives. For those of us in the Foreign Ministry, GEA
has already proved itself a wellspring of useful ideas.
As all of you are aware, in March Japan experienced a disaster without parallel inour history, the Great East Japan Earthquake. I would like to take this opportunity
to convey our deep appreciation for the generous support and the kind messages ofsympathy and encouragement we have received from countries around the world.
For many survivors of that disaster, daily life continues to be a severe ordeal.
Reconstruction is an urgent priority, and as we tackle it, we face the difficult challengeof rebuilding in such a way as to ensure sustainability over the medium and long term.
We are hoping to incorporate in our reconstruction efforts many of the valuableideas and overseas initiatives discussed by participants from Japan and abroad at thisyear's GEA International Conference. As it happens, shifting to a green economy
and achieving sustainable development will be the main topics of discussion at theRio+20 conference scheduled to be held in Rio de Janeiro next June. The Japanese
government wants to use the environment summit as an opportunity to report on ournation’s reconstruction efforts geared to the development of a society that is friendly
to people and the environment alike.
Profiting from the participation of leading figures and experts from around theworld, this year's GEA Conference holds the promise of two days filled with lively
and productive discussion. I am confident that the result will be a message of genuine
value and import from Japan to the rest of the world.

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