Source: Ministry of the Environment

that led to actual reduction of emissions in developing countries while participating in international negotiations.

The COP16 took place in Cancun, Mexico, from the end of November to December 2010, and here the conflicts between developed and developing countries continued.

In particular, Japan’s statement in the AWG-KP at the beginning of the COP16 that it was opposed to setting the second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol invited harsh criticism from developing countries. These countries were concerned that parties should not undermine the Kyoto Protocol, which was currently the only legally-binding agreement.

Under these circumstances, the Minister of the Environment, Matsumoto, arrived in Cancun, Mexico, on December 5, 2010, in the second week of negotiations. At bilateral meetings with individual countries and at the official high-level segment held on December 9, he patiently asserted that Japan would fulfill its obligation in the first commitment period and would never disregard the Kyoto Protocol. He also claimed that it was necessary to quickly establish a truly fair, effective single and legally-binding framework with the participation of all major countries including the United States and China, rather than establishing a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol which would impose emissions reductions on only a few countries (Photograph 4-3-1).

Mexico’s Foreign Secretary Espinosa, as a chairperson of COP16, led the negotiations with the utmost care in order to maintain the transparency of the conference proceedings in order to avoid criticism such as had been made by some Parties in COP15. At the Ministerial meetings held during the second week of negotiations, she continued to manage transparent proceedings in a consistent manner through topic-based discussions with no restriction for attendees.

These approaches by Japan and efforts by host country Mexico helped the draft decisions by Espinosa to be finally adopted as the Cancun Agreement on the last day of the conference and led to the agreement on addressing emission reduction in both developed and developing countries and to the introduction of a mechanism which verified the effects of emissions reductions internationally. It was an important milestone to establish the international framework that Japan sought (Figure 4-3-1).

Significant progress was also made for supporting

Figure 4-3-1 Decisions Agreed upon in Cancun

Source: Ministry of the Environment

developing countries, such as adaptation, finance, and technology transfers.

The COP17 is scheduled to take place in Durban, South Africa from the end of November through December 2011. Japan will actively continue to energetically engage in dialogues with countries, and contribute to progress in negotiations in order to achieve its ultimate goal of establishing a truly fair and effective, legally-binding framework with the participation of all major countries, including the United States and China.

## (2) Japan’s International Cooperation in Asia toward a Low-Carbon Society

Motorization is increasingly widespread in the Asian regions due to rapid economic development and urbanization, and it is necessary to immediately take effective countermeasures against the various transportation and environmental issues that occurred as a result. The UNCRD (United Nations Center for Regional Development) and Japan jointly established the “Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) Forum in Asia” in 2005, considering the specific characteristics of the Asian regions. Japan has been actively contributing to the realization of environmentally sustainable transport in the Asian regions through policy dialogues among participating countries.

The Regional EST Forum in Asia was started in Nagoya, Japan, in 2005, and up to today, the forum has been held five times. At the “Fifth Regional EST Forum in Asia” in Bangkok, Thailand, in August 2010, about 200 participants including senior government officials (mostly from environmental and transport ministries) from twenty-two Asian countries, representatives from international organizations, and academic experts attended the Forum (Photograph 4-3-2). Achievements at the Fifth Forum include the adoption of “Bangkok Declaration for 2020,” which provides guidelines for sustainable transport in the Asian regions in the coming decade.

In 2010 the Ninth ASEAN Plus Three Environment Ministers Meeting and the Second East Asia Summit (EAS) Environment Ministers Meeting were held in