The seminar for Net-Zero and Well-Being in Life
Background and Purpose
Demand side measures have been one of the key topics in recent G7/G20 discussions. Jointly organized by the G20 Presidency of India and the G7 Presidency of Japan, this seminar provides opportunities to share experiences and good practices on demand-side policies and business initiatives with each other. The objective of this seminar is to foster efforts at various levels and stakeholders, including businesses, local and national governments, organizations, and individuals, in each country to accelerate changes in consumer lifestyles and behaviors related to climate change and the environment in the critical decade to 2030. The seminar includes speeches from governments of India, Brazil and Japan, OECD, presentations from 4 private sectors, as well as the presentation of the summary of the online workshop for Net-Zero and Well-Being in Life held on November 16th.
Date
December 8th, 2023. 16:30 - 17:45 GST (GMT+4)
Venue: Hybrid (COP28 Japan Pavilion, Online)
Co-Organizers
Ministry of the Environment, Japan
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, India
Agenda
1. Introduction of Agenda
Mana Saza
Founder,
SWiTCH Association of Sustainability
2. Speech from Government of Japan
Yutaka Matsuzawa
Vice-Minister for
Global Environmental Affairs,
Ministry of the Environment, Japan
3. Speech from Government of India
Amit Raj
Director from Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change Government of India
4. Speech from Government of Brazil
Ambassador André Aranha Corrêa do Lago
Secretary for Climate, Energy and Environment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil
5. Speech from OECD
Mathilde Mesnard
Deputy Director for the Environment
Directorate and OECD Coordinator for Climate and Green Finance
OECD
6. Photo Session
7. Presentations of the summary of the Online Workshop
Yusuke Inoue
Director for Zero-Carbon Lifestyle Promotion,
Ministry of the Environment, Japan
8. Presentations
8-1. Presentation from Panasonic Holdings Corporation
Ryohei Tokunaga
General Manager
Platform Division
GX Strategy Office
Panasonic Holdings Corporation
Wataru Baba
CEO
Mononaware Inc.
8-2. Presentation from SB Power Corp.
Akihiko Nakano
President and CEO
SB Power Corp.
8-3. Presentation from ASICS Corporation
Minako Yoshikawa
Senior General Manager
Sustainability Division
ASICS Corporation
8-4. Presentation from Lion Corporation
Kenjiro Kobayashi
Director
Senior Executive Officer
Lion Corporation
9. Q&A session
10. Closing
Yutaka Matsuzawa
Vice-Minister for
Global Environmental Affairs,
Ministry of the Environment, Japan
The seminar for Net-Zero and Well-Being in Life Summary
At the beginning of the seminar, speakers from Government of Japan, India, and Brazil gave speeches related to the importance of demand-side measures in their respective countries.
Following that, OECD keynote speech pointed out that "availability, convenience, and affordability are key considerations for households," and that "ensuring greater access, removing barriers and improving incentives" is crucial for households to contribute to climate action.
In the Positive Action Initiative, Panasonic and various stakeholders aim to build a system where individual decarbonization actions are visualized and rewards can be earned. Corporate brands that have a wide range of touchpoints with the public jointly conduct the initiative, allowing for broad reach.
SB Power is delivering its service to a wide range of consumers by offering power companies a packaged product that includes everything from installation to operation of a service to promote power saving to consumers. It allows consumers to enjoy power saving in a game-like fashion, with results visible the next day and CO2 emission reduction and power-saving results displayed in a ranking.
ASICS has started displaying the carbon footprint on their shoes, offering information that enables consumers to select products considering the environmental impact. Moreover, by narrowing the price difference between regular and eco-friendly products, and not compromising on design or durability, they are removing barriers for consumers to purchase environmentally considerate products.
Lion's plastic-saving packaging achieve a three-way satisfaction: "consumers get it cheaper", "companies can reduce manufacturing costs", and "it's environmentally friendly".