Japan, U.S. Confirm Cooperation for COP26

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and John Kerry, U.S. special presidential envoy for climate, confirmed on Tuesday their countries' cooperation in the 26th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP26. At his meeting in Tokyo with Kerry, who was visiting Japan for the first time in his role as a U.S. special envoy, Koizumi said he wants the bilateral talks to be an "opportunity to confirm the deepening of (Japan-U.S.) cooperation for the success" of COP26, to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from late October. Kerry said that the U.S. government is grateful for the Japanese government's pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to curb the rise of the global temperature from levels before the industrial revolution to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, he said that the goal for the global temperature may not be achieved unless many other countries follow suit. His remark was apparently aimed at highlighting the need for related steps on a global scale, prior to his coming visit to China, the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter. Earlier on Tuesday, Kerry held talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. END