Kerry visits Japan and China as efforts stepped up to tackle climate change

US climate envoy John Kerry has met Japan’s top diplomat in Tokyo to push efforts to fight climate change ahead of the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow.

Foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi highlighted what he said was the importance of getting other major carbon emitters, especially China, to cooperate.

After his meeting with Mr Kerry, Mr Motegi said: “China is the world’s biggest carbon emitter and the number two economy as well, and it is extremely important we encourage China to firmly fulfil its responsibility to match its place.”

Mr Motegi added he hoped Japan and America would lead global decarbonising efforts at the UN conference in Glasgow in November, and beyond.

The United States is the secondlargest carbon emitter. Japan is fifth.

Mr Kerry also met Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Trade and Industry Minister Hiroshi Kajiyama.

Mr Kerry was last night en route to China for more climate talks – his second trip to the country during the Biden administration.

The US diplomat has called on global leaders to work together and accelerate actions needed to curb rising temperatures to no more than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

He urged China to join the US in urgently cutting carbon emissions.

Many countries have pledged to eliminate net carbon emissions by 2050. Japan has promised to strive to reduce its emissions by 46 per cent from 2012 levels, up from an earlier target of 26%, to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. China has also set a goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2060.

Mr Suga has said Japan will try to push the reduction as high as 50% to be in line with the European Union.

To achieve that target, Japan’s environment ministry is seeking a significant budget increase to promote renewable energy and decarbonising programmes.

The trade and industry ministry plans to use large subsidies to promote electric vehicles and wind power generation, according to a draft budget proposal for 2022.

The ministry, in its draft basic energy plan released in July, said the share of renewables should be raised to 36-38% of the power supply in 2030 from the current target of 22-24%.