脱炭素都市国際フォーラム
山口環境大臣御挨拶（案）（約５分）

2022 年３月９日（水） 10:05～10:10（日本時間）
Hello, distinguished guests and participants fromaround the world.
I am Tsuyoshi YAMAGUCHI, Environment Minister ofJapan.
It is my great honor to co-host the 2nd Zero Carbon
City International Forum with the United States’ Officeof Special Presidential Envoy for Climate.
I am grateful to all the speakers and moderators forthis Forum from 22 cities and 10 organizations.
Ambassador Emanuel, from the United States, I am
most grateful to you for your opening remarks.
And, I would like to express my gratitude to Ms.
Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC
for her video message.
I also thank the UNFCCC Secretariat, ICLEI and IGES
for cooperating in this Forum.
Well, today, I cannot begin my remarks without
touching upon Ukraine.
I do hope that peace will prevail in Ukraine again asearly as possible. Our prayers are with Ukrainianpeople.
As Prime Minister Kishida stated, the next decade iscritical for the realization of a decarbonized world by2050.
We believe that decarbonizing Japanese economy
and society through innovation will also revitalize ourindustries.
Decarbonization effort by local governments is also
critically important.
We are encouraging subnational decarbnization
efforts.
To realize decarbonization in Japan, a variety ofbottom up measures according to local situations arenecessary, such as promoting local energy resources oncompact, low-energy-consumption lifestyles.
The number of Japanese “Zero Carbon Cities,” orlocal governments committing to zero carbon
emissions by 2050, has now reached 598, covering 91%
of Japan’s population.

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Representing them, Sapporo City and Kawasaki
City, will attend a session later today and share theirexperiences.
The Ministry of the Environment intends todesignate more than 100 leading decarbonization
areas by 2030.
Through this process, the national government andlocal governments closely work together andaccelerate decarbonization efforts.
Those models, we hope, would trigger a"decarbonization domino effect" across the country.
I myself have been visiting governors and mayors toexplain the need for decarbonization and how it canalso lead to revitalizing their prefectures or cities.
The national government will secure a budget of 40
billion yen available for this purpose.
Japan's efforts will go beyond our borders.
We will strive to encourage decarbonization domino
efforts globally, especially in the Indo-Pacific region.
Our city-to-city collaboration program continue to bevery important.
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The program has already linked 41 cities across theworld with 17 Japanese cities.
Some of them will attend a session later today.
Through the program, we have implemented 21
decarbonized projects in overseas partner cities, andhave also contributed to their zero-carbon declarations
and capacity building.
Today, I am very pleased to share with all of you that
Danang city in Vietnam will announce the commitmentof Carbon Neutrality by 2050.
To encourage subnational decarbonization efforts,
our Ministry and United Statesʼ Office of Special
Presidential Envoy for Climate launched the "Japan-U.S.
Global Subnational Zero Carbon Promotion Initiative" at
COP26, based on the "Japan-U.S. Climate Partnership".
Today, we hold this forum as the first step of thecollaboration.
On the 17th of last month and the day before
yesterday, we held an online conference to enhancetheunderstandingandcapacity

buildingfor

implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
I hope that the conference served to facilitate
4subnational decarbonization efforts in many countries.
Various international programs are run by variouscountries

includingorganizations

forU.S.,andsupportinginternational

decarbonization

atsubnational levels.
We hope that todayʼs forum would strengthen
collaboration among such programs and lead to“Decarbonization Domino Effect”.
Japan hopes global decarbonizaion in this critical
decade.
We also hope that something like “Asia Zero
Emissions community” would emerge by working
together with like-minded Asian countries.
It is my sincere hope that today's forum willcontributetopromoting

subnational

decarbonization in every country.
Thank you.

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