Selwin Hart
Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just Transition and Assistant Secretary-General of the Climate Action Team
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Video remarks at
Japan Climate Action Summit 2024
18 October 2024

Excellencies, distinguished participants, colleagues, and friends,

I want to thank the Japan Climate Initiative for hosting this Summit and for giving me this opportunity to share some reflections with you.

This year’s Summit comes at a critical moment in our fight against the climate crisis.

The window of opportunity to keep the 1.5-degree limit within reach and prevent the worst impacts of climate change is almost closed.

At current levels of warming, we are already witnessing unprecedented extreme weather events in cities, countries, and continents across our planet.

But there is hope. There has never been greater clarity and convergence around what needs to be done, by whom, and over what timeframe to avoid a climate catastrophe.

We have the technologies, solutions, and know-how to supercharge the clean energy transition. Renewables and battery storage have never been cheaper or more accessible.

As the Secretary-General has said a future without fossil fuels is now certain. But a fair and fast transition is not.

This is in our hands.

Friends,

The world is expecting leadership from Japan in two areas.

First – leadership by example. The next generation of Nationally Determined Contributions or national climate plans, due in 2025 represent an unprecedented opportunity for countries to align their national energy strategies and economic development priorities with their climate ambitions.

They must align with the 1.5 degree limit, cover the whole economy and all greenhouse gases, and contribute to every one of the COP28 global energy transition goals.

The G7 and other OECD countries must lead the charge, committing to:

• no new coal and upstream oil and gas projects now;
• phasing out coal by 2030; and
• fully decarbonizing the power mix by 2035.

As Japan formulates its 7th Basic Energy Plan and new NDC, it must demonstrate to the world what a good 1.5 aligned NDC and energy transition plan look like.

As one of the few remaining OECD countries without a coal phaseout date and with a new coal power project under consideration, Japan must urgently pivot away from entrenching coal and gas lock-in and instead support the roll-out of renewables and storage – domestically, regionally and internationally

Second. We need leadership on fixing finance and ensuring a just and fair transition.

Clean energy investments in developing and emerging economies outside of China remain stuck at 2015 levels. These countries represent two-thirds of the global population and attracted a mere 15% of clean energy investments last year.

Most of the developing world is being left behind in the race to net zero, drowning in debt, locked at the bottom of global value chains, and being battered by climate chaos.

As a major bilateral donor and shareholder of the multilateral development banks, the leadership of Japan is needed more than ever to advance the bold reforms needed to build a financial architecture fit to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.  

We need a global financial system that is part of the solution rather than one that continues to incentivize planetary destruction and fails to allocate affordable finance to the places that need it most.

Friends,

Every city, region, industry, financial institution, and company must also be part of the solution.

By COP30 next year, they must also present robust, credible 1.5-aligned transition plans, in line with the recommendations of the UN High-Level Expert Group on Net Zero.

Plans that cover emissions across the entire value chain;

That include interim targets and transparent verification processes;

And that steer clear of the dubious carbon offsets that erode public trust while doing nothing or little to help the climate.

Excellencies,

This moment of truth demands nothing short of maximum ambition, acceleration, and cooperation.

The United Nations is all-in — we will continue to work tirelessly to help build trust, find solutions, convene stakeholders, and inspire the cooperation our world desperately needs.

I thank you.

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