What is the Paris Agreement?

The Paris Agreement is an international framework for climate change issues from 2020 onwards. It was adopted at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) and came into force in 2016.

The Paris Agreement is characterized by the following:

1. It sets a common global "2-degree target (aspirational target of within 1.5 degrees)" for greenhouse gas reductions from 2020 onwards.
2. It is the successor framework to the Kyoto Protocol.
3. Obligations are imposed on all signatory countries.

Japan and the Paris Agreement

To achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, each country submitted its reduction targets in 2015. Among these, Japan has set a target of a 26% reduction by fiscal year 2030 compared to fiscal year 2013 (25.4% reduction compared to fiscal year 2005). In relation to this, in Japan, the "Long-term Strategy as a Growth Strategy Based on the Paris Agreement" was approved by the Cabinet in October 2021, and "renewable energy first principle" and "decarbonization of power sources" were indicated as directions for initiatives, and financial support for countries vulnerable to the impacts of climate change has been pledged.

To achieve the goals

Individual efforts are also important to achieve the above goals. To reduce CO2, which contributes to global warming, let's actively implement measures such as:

• Using public transportation such as buses and trains instead of private cars, and actively using bicycles or walking.
• Initiatives to reduce food waste, such as thoroughly draining food waste and meticulously separating garbage.
• Energy-saving measures such as setting indoor temperatures to energy-saving mode (summer: 28℃, winter: 20℃) and turning off lights when not in use in rooms or during lunch breaks.

Let's actively implement these and other measures.

Reference: Asahi Shimbun Digital "What is the Paris Agreement? A concise and easy-to-understand explanation of its contents"