UN Chief urges Japan to take lead on tackling climate change

JAPAN: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Japan Sunday to take a greater lead in the fight against climate change, as the nation prepares to host next month’s Group of Eight summit.

In a speech at Kyoto University, Ban said Japan, the world’s second largest economy and a leader in green technology, had a “moral and political responsibility” to play a bigger role in tackling climate change.

Japan should share its environmental technology with other nations to help reduce their levels of greenhouse gases which cause climate change, as well as help setup active trading schemes for carbon emissions, Ban said.

“Japan can play a leadership role in realizing the potentials of these market-based mechanisms, now and in the future,” Ban said in Kyoto, where the landmark protocol on combating greenhouse gases was forged.

“For technology, Japan has been a leading country in technological innovation,” he said, encouraging Japanese businesses to share their knowledge and skills with the rest of the world.

“Therefore, you have a political and moral responsibility to do that.”

“As the number two economic power, Japan has again moral and political responsibility in actively participating in financial mechanisms” to fight climate change.

The UN chief gave the address ahead of the G8 summit in the northern Japanese resort town of Toyako from July 7-9 when climate change is set to be among the top issues on the agenda.

On the eve of his departure on the two-week, three-nation Asian tour, Ban said he would press the G8 leaders at their summit to tackle the world food crisis, climate change and the flagging fight against global poverty.

Ban will join the G8 leaders during the outreach sections of the meet.

Kyoto, Sunday, AFP