Senior EU and Japanese officials agreed in Brussels to deepen co-operation on climate policy, including work towards climate neutrality and responses to shared economic and geopolitical challenges.
The talks took place during a High-Level Dialogue on Climate Change between the European Union and Japan, where both sides linked the clean energy transition to climate goals as well as security, independence and competitiveness in the context of the current crisis in the Gulf region, the European Commission announced on Thursday.
The meeting was opened by Kurt Vandenberghe, Director-General for Climate Action at the European Commission, and Kentaro DOI, Vice-Minister for Global Environmental Affairs at Japan’s Ministry of the Environment.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the Paris Agreement and to scaling up climate action this decade, including emissions reductions consistent with keeping the 1.5°C temperature rise limit “within reach” by the end of the century.
COP31 and next steps for co-operation
The EU and Japan discussed implementing their 2030 Nationally Determined Contributions — the national climate plans countries submit under the Paris Agreement — as well as Japan’s NDCs for 2035 and 2040, the Commission said.
They also agreed to join efforts to ensure a successful COP31 climate summit in Antalya later this year and to support work on Biennial Transparency Reports, which are regular updates countries provide on emissions and progress.
The EU and Japan recalled their Green Alliance launched in May 2021 and said they would promote bilateral exchanges during 2026 on industrial decarbonisation, climate adaptation, carbon pricing and carbon credits, carbon capture use and storage, sustainable finance, and climate action at sub-national level.
