Climate change is a critical issue that the international community must unite to address urgently. In this session, we will present and discuss methodologies to support implementing climate change mitigation plans to achieve “Net Zero (climate neutral society)”, considering the unique situation of Japan and the wider Asian region.

Based on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) adopted in 1992, the Conferences of the Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC has been held every year since 1995, with the objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions effectively worldwide. Vigorous discussions have been conducted with the aim of realising this goal.

Under these circumstances, at COP21 held in Paris, France in December 2015, a new international framework was proposed and adopted as the “Paris Agreement” to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 2020 onwards.

The Paris Agreement requires all participating countries and regions, including developing countries, to set “greenhouse gas reduction and control targets” for 2020 and beyond. It also stipulates that Parties must make efforts to prepare and submit a “long-term low-emission acceleration strategy”.

Against this background, it is critical to realise “Net Zero”, but, even though some progress can be seen, different challenges and constraints in each country have made it difficult to achieve this goal. In addition, plans must be reviewed and implemented with careful examination of feasibility in terms of achieving “Net Zero”, such as the serious impact that climate change mitigation plans might have on the sustainability of human society and ecosystems.