As the consequence of climate change becomes significant, it is urgent to mobilise finance and technology from the private sector through international cooperation to achieve net-zero (the goal of reducing global emissions to zero) by 2050, which is set by the Paris Agreement, the United Nations Framework for combatting with climate change. Towards such a challenge, the “Principles of High Integrity Carbon Markets'' were adopted at the G7 Climate Change, Energy and Environment Ministers’ Meeting held in Sapporo last year. As a next step, it is crucial for various stakeholders to implement concrete actions based on these principles.

In this session, we invite governments and the private sector representatives working toward net-zero, and those involved in international initiatives to implement high-integrity carbon markets, to discuss the implementation experiences and challenges. It also provides perspectives on international discussions such as synergies between climate change, biodiversity, circular economy, in achieving the SDGs.

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), established in 2012, has changed the way the world sees biodiversity assessment. They have produced multiple global reports on various aspects of biodiversity and its loss. These reports provide course-scale data to inform policymakers of general trends, and they have begun to stimulate national governments to conduct similar assessments.

Japan has been one of the most active countries in the world in terms of IPBES involvement and support, and IPBES recently accepted Japan’s offer to host and staff a third IPBES technical support unit (TSU), on the topic of biodiversity scenarios and models. Speakers in this session will discuss overall trends in biodiversity assessment worldwide; the role of IPBES in this field and in Japan; and the upcoming work of the new technical support unit.

There is an ongoing international negotiation for establishing a global treaty to tackle plastic pollution which is expected to be agreed by the end of this year. Fifth session on International Negotiation Committee (INC5) on the global plastic treaty will be held on 25 November to 1 December 2024 in Busan, the Republic of Korea. The global treaty is expected to set the global directions for avoiding wastes, promoting circular use, and preventing environmental impacts from plastic products and use.

From the perspective of the regime building for global actions to tackle plastic pollution, this session overviews the major discussion points at the INC observed by the key figures leading and supporting the negotiations. Considering the important role played by Asian countries, the session also delivers a presentation about the role played by IGES to foster regional collaboration and targeted actions in Asia.

The ambitions of the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement and other global goals have defined actionable plans and targets for the peace and prosperity of human societies and the planet. However, the effective translation of global sustainability goals and climate actions into local development policies and investment plans remains a challenge. Despite resource constraints, local and regional governments are now stepping up to adopt reforms that can put city regions on a more sustainable and climate-resilient path. In fact, mayors and local leaders are now being recognised as key decision-makers in driving progress towards global goals by stimulating local actions. Recognising the need to showcase successful strategies, share best practices and inspire innovative approaches, this session will invite local leaders (from Japan and overseas) and international experts, to provide a co-learning platform to explore diverse perspectives on synergistically achieving global goals, while also addressing local needs and concerns. Leveraging this opportunity, the session will explore the potential of implementing the Circulating and Ecological Sphere (CES) approach, which focuses on developing the SDGs at the regional and local levels and integrating the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, under the current priority actions for maximising the vitality of city regions in the context of Asia.