PROFESSIONAL LUNCHEON
Sakihito Ozawa
Minister of the Environment

The speech will be in English and the Q & A in Japanese with English interpretation

*Please note this event will now finish at 14:30 and the speech will be in English. The moderator's introduction will begin at 13:35 and be followed immediately by the speaker's presentation.

With the COP 15 Copenhagen climate change conference seen by growing numbers of people worldwide as the last chance to prevent irreversible global warming, the nearly 190 nations expected to forge a successor to the Kyoto Protocol are finishing last-minute negotiation strategies ahead of the December 7-18 meeting.

Despite pessimism that Copenhagen will end up a failure due to opposition to tough targets in the U.S. and the refusal of countries like China and India to adopt similar targets, nearly 70 world leaders, including Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, have agreed to go to COP15 in the hopes of sealing some sort of deal.

Under Hatoyama, Japan won international praise for saying it would pursue a 25 percent cut in emissions by 2020 based on 1990 levels. This is in line with what climate scientists recommend and similar to what European nations have announced. But the cut is opposed by Keidanren and the Federation of Electric Power Companies lobbies, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and certain media, who warn of huge electricity bills and a loss of business to countries with no obligations to adopt specific targets.

And Hatoyama has indicated there are certain conditions attached to that promise, including participation by the world's major economies, which could complicate Japan's position at COP15. Join the FCCJ as Environment Minister Sakihito Ozawa lays out his government's case for its new policy and explains what Japan's role at Copenhagen is likely to be.

MENU
Sandwich: Roast beef, cheese, fried onion, watercress, lettuce, tomato on baguette, horseradish mayonnaise & pickles
Hot Plate: Char-grilled swordfish with vegetable julienne, garlic rice, coriander puree & herb salad, seasonal salad

Sakihito Ozawa, Minister of the Environment