Reflecting the global trend to find a solution to the problem of climate change, climate change policies are expected to be the core issue at the G8 Summit being held this year in Toyako, Hokkaido. Ahead of the G8 Summit, a process of international dialogues drawing world-wide attention is being developed this year with the G20 (Gleneagles Dialogue) in Makuhari, Chiba in March, and the G8 Environment Ministers Meeting in Kobe in May.

In this series of events for the G8 process, IGES is making practical contributions to meaningful policy dialogue by providing information and policy recommendations based on research results related to climate change.

Contribution to the Blair Initiative

Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister and advocate of the Gleneagles Dialogue, arrived in Japan for the G20 Chiba Summit (The 4th Ministerial Meeting of G8 Gleneagles Dialogue on Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development, Makuhari, Chiba) held on 14 - 16 March 2008. Before his trip to Japan, Mr. Blair announced an initiative "Breaking the Deadlock: The Path to an International Climate Change Agreement" calling on the major emitting countries such as the US, EU, Japan, China and India to work together to address Climate Change issues.

During Mr. Blair's visit, there was an Expert Briefing for this initiative (held on 15 March in Tokyo). Two participants from IGES, Prof. Hironori Hamanaka, Chair of the Board of Directors and Shuzo Nishioka, Research Advisor were invited to the briefing to exchange views on trends in Japan's climate change policies and on incentives to encourage the positive participation of major emitting countries such as China and India in the US International Framework. At the meeting, Mr. Blair called on IGES to actively participate in the Initiative. With this expectation, IGES will boost its efforts in strategic research by contributing to the post 2012 regime through policy recommendations which make use of knowledge gained at Informal Dialogues on post 2012 climate change held in Asia, and at a series of US-Japan workshops on climate change.

Symposium on "Actions against Global Warming:Japan’s Role in the World"

On 16 March, the day after the Expert Briefing, IGES invited Tony Blair to speak at a symposium entitled "Actions against Global Warming:Japan's Role in the World" organised jointly with Nikkei Inc. and the Japan Center for Economic Research, an event held at the Tokyo International Forum. Following Mr. Blair's keynote speech, there was a panel discussion on Japan's role in addressing global warming, with panelists in top positions in Japan such as Ichiro Kamoshita, Minister of the Environment and the Governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara.

In his keynote address, Mr. Blair stated the importance of cooperation between developed and developing countries to tackle global warming and expressed his hopes that Japan would use its strong leadership in science and technology as well as its geographical position in Asia. In the panel discussion that followed, the Minister for the Environment, Ichiro Kamoshita emphasised that developed countries must consider how to contribute to efforts against global warming based on common but differentiated responsibility. He also advocated the introduction to the world of an emissions trading system that was not necessarily a European one, but a Japanese style system. Governor Ishihara made clear his intention of joining the International Carbon Action partnership whose current members are the EU and several states of the US and Canada. He also suggested that the introduction of the emissions trading system under consideration by Tokyo would possibly be expanded to neighbouring prefectures. Junichi Nishizawa, President of Tokyo Metropolitan University explained that by using hydro-energy or converting to DC power transmission, there is a high possibility of cutting CO2 emissions. Mitsuhiko Yamashita, Executive Vice President, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. stated that Nissan’s goal was to reduce CO2 emissions by 40% by 2015 and introduced some technological innovations used by the company. Apart from technology, he also emphasised the need for a triple-layered approach in the form of vehicle, driver and society, to combat global warming.