U.S.-Japan Climate Partnership on Ambition, Decarbonization, and Clean Energy (2021)
Date: 18/4/2021
The Governments of the United States and Japan
U.S.-Japan Climate Partnership on Ambition, Decarbonization, and Clean Energy The United States and Japan, committed to enhancing cooperation on climate ambition, decarbonization, and clean energy, will lead on climate action in the international community, towards the April 22-23 Leaders’ Summit on Climate, COP26, and beyond. The two sides will reinforce bilateral cooperation in the priority areas below to achieve their 2050 net zero goals and the aligned 2030 targets, alongside a global trajectory consistent with the efforts to limit global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The United States and Japan are committed to taking decisive action by 2030 aligned with these goals.
1) Cooperation and dialogue on climate ambition and implementation of the Paris Agreement
The United States and Japan will cooperate on climate ambition and hold a dialogue on domestic implementation of the Paris Agreement. The consultations will focus on the planning and policies necessary to achieve the 2030 targets/nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and 2050 net zero goals, including cooperation on developing long-term strategies, looking ahead to COP26 and beyond.
The United States and Japan will also work together towards implementation of the Paris Agreement internationally, including with respect to elaboration of the outstanding elements of the Paris Rulebook.
2) Climate and clean energy technology and innovation
The United States and Japan commit to addressing climate change and working together towards the realization of green growth by enhancing cooperation on innovation, including in such areas as renewable energy, energy storage (such as batteries and long-duration energy storage technologies), smart grid, energy efficiency, hydrogen, Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage/Carbon Recycling, industrial decarbonization, and advanced nuclear power. This cooperation will also promote the development, deployment, and utilization of climate friendly and adaptive infrastructure through collaboration in areas including renewable energy, grid optimization, demand response, and energy efficiency.
3) Cooperation on accelerating the transition to a decarbonized society in third countries, particularly in the Indo-Pacific
The United States and Japan recognize both the particular vulnerabilities of developing countries to the impacts of climate change, as well as their sustainable development imperatives. The United States and Japan affirm our commitment to cooperate to support developing countries, including those in the Indo-Pacific region, to rapidly deploy renewable energy, drive the decarbonization of their economies, and accelerate diverse, ambitious, and realistic transition
paths in the region, towards the realization of net zero emissions globally no later than 2050. This work can be accomplished by utilizing existing frameworks and ensuring they work to support the climate goals of the United States, Japan, and third-country partners, including through the Japan-U.S.-Mekong Power Partnership (“JUMPP”), the newly established Japan- U.S. Clean Energy Partnership (“JUCEP”), and other country-level climate and clean energy collaborative activities the United States and Japan undertake around the world.
These efforts will extend to strategic collaboration in such areas as planning and analysis, climate friendly and adaptive infrastructure development, and capacity building. They will also contribute to the goal of achieving net zero emissions globally by 2050 and to the enhancement of NDCs in each country in line with this goal. The United States and Japan recognize the critical importance of subnational government action in achieving our climate goals, and will collaborate to promote action globally to recognize, support, and accelerate subnational climate action.
The United States and Japan will align official international financing with the global achievement of net zero greenhouse gas emissions no later than 2050 and deep emission reductions in the 2020s, and will work to promote the flow of public and private capital toward climate-aligned investments and away from high-carbon investments. We will work to advance sustainable development and a green recovery and growth, including cooperation on mobilizing additional public and private sector finance for net-zero transition, climate resilience, and disaster risk in the Indo-Pacific region and other partner countries.
The United States and Japan will work together to engage other major economies to ensure all key stakeholders are involved in efforts to reduce domestic emissions and undertake international obligations and responsibilities, including contributions for climate finance, befitting to their positions.
Source: White House