Keynote Address by H.E. Ambassador Odano at the Japan Business Council in Europe's
10th Anniversary Symposium:
'Advancing and Greening Europe's Economy through Technological Innovation'
The Japan Business Council in Europe is celebrating 10 years in Brussels and to mark the occasion, it hosted a 10 year anniversary event showcasing products and technologies relevant to the advancing and greening of Europe’s economy through technological innovation. JBCE member companies demonstrated technologies for renewable energy and energy efficiency/savings that are going to be important factors in the 21st century in terms of fighting global warming.
H.E. Ambassador Odano made a keynote address:
"Japan and the EU have a strong trade relationship. In 2008, we traded 117 billion Euros worth of goods between us. Furthermore, EU countries enjoy over 120 billion Euros in stocks of foreign direct investment from Japan. There are over 1000 manufacturing companies of Japanese origin operating in EU 27 countries and those companies create a lot of job opportunities.
The role of the EU is increasing in the global economy. In accordance, the importance of JBCE activities will be greater as they follow EU policies and programs as well as work with relevant EU authorities. JBCE has multi-industry membership; 60 members are from various industries such as the electric, electronics, chemical and machinery industries. Therefore, I hope that JBCE activities will positively impact upon the process of EU policy formation by making use of its unique character.
Climate change is one of the most pressing issues all of us face, whether we are in business, in government, in Japan or in Europe. At the United Nations Summit on Climate Change in late September, Japan’s new Prime Minister, Dr. Yukio Hatoyama, announced that Japan would aim to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2020 which is consistent with what science calls for in order to halt global warming. This commitment is premised on the agreement of ambitious targets by all major economies.
In order to achieve the ambitious mid-term target, the Prime Minister has committed himself to mobilizing all available policy tools, including the introduction of a domestic emission trading mechanism and a feed-in tariff for renewable energy. He is also considering the introduction of a global warming tax. In the framework of such a variety of policy measures, the promotion of renewable energy and enhancing energy conservation would form two pillars.
Broader use of renewable energy is essential to realizing a low-carbon society in the mid- to long term. It is also important in helping to secure a stable supply of energy. There have been notable technological developments lately in the field of renewable energy, solar panel, wind power and biomass, for example, and governmental support will certainly accelerate the development of these technologies.
Japan’s efforts to enhance energy efficiency date back to the 1970s, when the two oil crises hit the industrialized world. As a result of a nationwide effort to promote energy conservation symbolized by an enactment of the Energy Conservation Law in 1974, Japan has probably the world’s most energy efficient industry. In the meantime, the room for further improvement is becoming smaller and smaller. This is the reason why there are strong calls for innovative technologies that could bring breakthroughs. Hence, a greater effort is required not only in Japan but also in Europe and elsewhere and not only for technologies but also for a better legal framework.
Before the opening of this symposium, I had a chance to look around the exhibitions outside the conference room. It was my great pleasure to see that each technology demonstrated the potential to revolutionize today’s energy supply and use, raising the hope for further development in future.
We are aware that in the EU, too, more emphasis has been placed on renewable energy and energy efficiency in recent years. In this context, it should be noted that the EU and Japan have put in place the most advanced policy measures in the world by comparing notes on mutual undertakings. Examples include the “top-runner” approach in Japan and the Eco-Design Directive in the EU, both of which aim at improving energy efficiency. Such policy cooperation will be further promoted.
In the field of research and development, Japan and the EU have already taken initiatives to promote tangible cooperative activities. There were meetings of experts on photovoltaic power and electricity storage, for example. Under the Japan-EU Science and Technology Agreement, which we have already initialed but for which we are currently awaiting the final signature, these activities will be more vigorously promoted.
It is my hope that today’s discussion will be useful for all the participants and that it will be a first step in the development of EU-Japan cooperation on achieving the shared goal of a low-carbon society."