2014-11-25

Side Event and Exhibition at UNFCCC Lima Climate Change Conference (COP20/CMP10)【Finished】

25 November, 2014
National Institute for Environmental Studies
Center for Global Environmental Research
Tatsuya YOKOTA, Head, Satellite Remote Sensing Research Section;
NIES GOSAT Project Office
Tsuneo MATSUNAGA, Team Leader, GOSAT-2 Project Team
Center for Social and Environmental Systems Research
Sustainable Social Systems Section
Junichi FUJINO, Senior Researcher
Yumiko ASAYAMA, Research Associate

The National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) will jointly host a side event with the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) with the title “Realization of Blueprint for Low Carbon Societies in Malaysia and throughout Asia” at the 20^th Conference of the Parties (COP 20) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 10^th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the parties (CMP 10) to the Kyoto Protocol (UNFCCC Lima Climate Change Conference, December 1-12, 2014, Lima, Peru). This side event will focus on the implementation of priority low carbon programs identified in the blueprint based on planning and consensus building with communities and local authorities alongside scientific analysis of a low carbon roadmap for Iskandar and Putrajaya in Malaysia and other Asian regions.

In addition, the exhibit at the exhibition booth in the conference venue, will focus on atmospheric CO₂ and CH₄ measurement results from the Japanese Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT), launched in 2009, and details of its successor, GOSAT-2, to be launched in early 2018. Research activities and plans for the realization of low carbon societies in Asia will also be introduced.

At the Japan Pavilion of COP20/CMP10, NIES will also organize an event on contributions from Japanese satellite remote sensing to climate change detection and two events based on our research outcomes related to capacity building programs by our research communities to develop the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) by developing countries as well as low carbon city scenarios and the associated roadmap.

1.Overview of Side Event “Realization of Blueprint for Low Carbon Societies in Malaysia and throughout Asia”

Date: Thursday, 11 December 2014

Time: 16:45 - 18:15

Venue: Caral, Cuartel General del Ejercito del Peru (conference venue, Lima, Peru)

Organizers: National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES, Japan), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM, Malaysia)

Details: We will introduce our latest research outcomes relating to national and local implementation plans throughout Asia, which were developed based on scenario analysis using the Asia-Pacific Integrated Model (AIM). We will then discuss how to realize planning towards sustainable low carbon societies in Asia. This side event will particularly focus on case studies for Iskandar and Putrajaya in Malaysia, and discuss how it will be possible to realize our research outcomes of low carbon scenarios by integrating knowledge and experiences from Japan’s local governments, such as Tokyo Carbon Reduction Reporting Program by Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and Eco Life Challenges for Primary School by Kyoto City, as well as making use of international activities, such as Sustainable Energy for All (SE4 ALL)*1 and Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)*2. We will also discuss the climate change policy which Japan should adopt in collaboration with other Asian countries.

Program: http://2050.nies.go.jp/cop/cop20/

*1: Iskandar Malaysia has been selected as one of the partner cities in the Global Energy Efficiency Accelerator Platform of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4 ALL), which has been initiated by the United Nations.

*2: Iskandar Malaysia has also participated in the RCE on ESD.

2.Overview of NIES Exhibition

Date: Monday, 1 December 2014 - Friday, 12 December 2014
Venue: COP 20/CMP 10 Exhibition Booth Venue at Cuartel General del Ejercito del Peru (conference venue, Lima, Peru)
Details: The exhibit focuses on atmospheric CO₂ and CH₄ measurement results from the Japanese Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT), launched in 2009, and details of its successor, GOSAT-2, to be launched in early 2018. Research activities for realization of low carbon societies in Asia will also be introduced.

3.Overview of NIES Events at the Japan Pavilion of COP20/CMP10

(1) Contributions of Japan's Satellite Remote Sensing to Climate Change Detection

Date: Tuesday, 2 December 2014
Time: 10:00 - 11:30
Organizers: Remote Sensing Technology Center of Japan (RESTEC), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), NIES
Details: Earth observation using satellites has the capacity to detect changes in climate and measure the earth’s environment both precisely and over wide scales. This event will introduce contributions of Japanese earth observation satellites to monitoring atmosphere, water circulation, cryosphere and land environments affected by climate change. Future plans and potential applications will also be shared. This event will be co-organized among RESTEC, JAXA, and NIES.

(2) Achieving a low-carbon Asia –Japan’s collaboration with Asia in developing INDCs by Asian

Date: Monday, 8 December 2014
Time: 10:00 - 11:30
Organizers: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), NIES, Kyoto University, Mizuho Information and Research Institute
Details: Submissions for the “Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC)” will be requested. In Asia, Japan has been encouraging examination of policies using the Asia-Pacific Integrated Assessment Model (AIM), as well as promoting the development of inventories and the formulation of Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs). We have also seen the emergence of the Low Carbon Asia Research Network (LoCARNet) as proposed by the Japanese Government and IGES. This network has facilitated activities towards realizing low-carbon development in Asia, by fostering and enhancing research communities in Asia, facilitating policy dialogues between researchers and policy-makers, as well as promoting information-exchange and knowledge-sharing through annual meetings. The subsequent integration of all this knowledge and experience will be effective in INDC preparation.

This side-event at COP20 will provide an opportunity to present Japan’s collaboration with Asian countries, which we hope will be useful in INDC preparation in Asia. It also represents an opportunity to conduct frank exchanges on what kind of support Asia expects from Japan.

(3) Low Carbon City Design using Asia Pacific Integrated Model (AIM)

Date: Tuesday, 9 December 2014
Time: 15:00 - 16:30
Organizer: NIES
Details: This event focuses on city-level low carbon activities in particular those based on AIM model simulation with the aim of providing a comprehensive picture of GHG emission trends and reduction plans. We will introduce the examples of development of Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) of Shiga prefecture, Kyoto city, Iskandar Malaysia region, Putrajaya city, and Ho Chi Minh City using AIM. We will also discuss such topics as how to diffuse implementation actions such as low carbon projects in Osaka city, monitoring and reporting system of buildings in Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Eco Life Challenge program focused on primary schools in Kyoto city (already applied to the Iskandar Malaysia region).