Chinese and Japanese officials sat down at a forum in Tokyo recently to hammer out ways to help the planet reduce carbon emissions. This is good news – particularly amid growing geopolitical tensions in the Asia-Pacific.
The 17th China-Japan Comprehensive Forum on Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection signed 27 new projects this year, covering areas including waste-to-energy technology, decarbonisation of industrial estates, green buildings and environmental restoration. Since 2006, the forum has led to Sino-Japanese cooperation in 457 projects.
It brings together the world’s second and third largest economies – China and Japan make up about 20 per cent of the global gross domestic product. This, according to Japan’s environment minister Keiichiro Asao at the forum, gives both countries substantial influence over the global economy, as they play crucial roles in addressing the world’s environmental challenges.
In turn, Zhao Chenxin, vice-chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NRDC), highlighted the complementary industrial strengths of China and Japan, their large market potential and solid foundation for cooperation when it comes to energy conservation and environmental protection.
China is keen to boost this cooperation with Japan, he said, including in environmental industries, energy-saving equipment and environmental infrastructure, supporting joint demonstration projects and cooperation in third-party markets between organisations and businesses from both countries.
The meeting comes at a pivotal time for both countries’ energy sectors. China has much to celebrate. Its carbon dioxide emissions stayed flat in the third quarter of this year, compared to the same period last year, according to Carbon Brief. This was despite a rebound in coal-fired power production.
