The Japan Federation of Economic Organizations (KEIDANREN) and the Federation of German Industries (BDI) wish to cooperate closely in a number of environmental issues, in particular measures to reduce CO2 emissions. The two organizations were agreed that a CO2 tax is questionable whether it is efficient and brings positive impact globally.
Rather, both organizations favored increases in close cooperation between business, government and the public, which will lead to more efficient methods of achieving the environmental policy goals. In this context, BDI and KEIDANREN attach the utmost importance to voluntary action, particularly in the field of global warming prevention.
A responsible approach to global warming prevention cannot be based on an isolated national effort or on compulsion. If the German and Japanese state of the art were applied in industrial production worldwide, an enormous potential for CO2 reduction could be unlocked. The wider application of this state of the art and increased technology transfer is therefore an indispensable precondition for a reduction in resource consumption and for worldwide global warming prevention.
However, the transfer of energy and resource saving technologies can only take place within an adequate framework and with greater support from political leadership: they should help to enhance mutual understanding between supplier and recipient countries and to create sound and reliable legal conditions for investment security.
Industry in Germany and Japan is prepared to shoulder its share of responsibility in the Joint Implementation Pilot Phase decided upon at first conference of the parties in Berlin.
Particularly with a view to global warming prevention, CO2-free nuclear energy is of great importance. In the international energy mix nuclear energy has a significant role to play, for reasons of independent and secure energy supply and because of its ecological and economic advantages.