EBC Newsletter – December 1, 2022

EBC Newsletter – December 1, 2022

 

 

From the EBC

Dear Friends of the EBC,

The EBC committees are made of European companies. They monitor the Japanese market, work on non-tariff barriers to produce the EBC White Paper, meet with ministries and various organizations and set up events for their members.

On 9 December, our Sustainability & Social Responsibility Committee will welcome Aya Nomizu, manager at PRI Japan (a UN-supported initiative), in charge of Climate Action 100+ for Japan. She will introduce the activities of both PRI and CA100+, and share her views on how Japanese and European stakeholders perform and engage in these international initiatives.

On 5 December, the Logistics & Freight Committee will arrange a presentation from the Narita International Airport Corporation (NAA). The presentation (in Japanese with rudimentary interpretation) will be focusing on the freight part of NAA’s activities.

If these are topics that would interest you, please feel free to join by sending us an email!

Finally, I would like to share with you a few events organised by our stakeholders or close partner organisations:

The Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Japan (SpCCJ) announced the winner of its 7th “Spain Japan Business Contribution Awards (SJBCA)”, on Friday, 25 November 2022. The Board of Directors of the SpCCJ is happy to announce that the 2022 award has been granted to the Japanese IT company NTT DATA, Inc., recognizing its contribution to the commercial relationships between the two countries. The prize was pick up by Kazuhiro Nishihata, Representative Director, President and CEO, NTT DATA, Inc.”

Labour participation, gender equality, and work-life balance
On 5 December, the seminar/Webinar is organised by the Nordic Embassies in Tokyo with the support of Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Nordic Council of Ministers, WAW! (World Assembly for Women), RIETI (Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry) and EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation. Please check the details.

We are looking forward to seeing you soon at one of these events!

Valerie Moschetti
EBC Chief Operating Officer

What’s in the Media

  • Businesses will be required to pay for their CO2 emissions, the government announced on Nov. 29 as it presented details for a carbon pricing system, which combines a surcharge and emissions trading plan.
    During a meeting of the GX (Green Transformation) Implementation Council, which discusses initiatives to achieve decarbonization, members approved the industry ministry’s idea for the carbon pricing system. (The Asahi Shimbun)
  • The government has concluded that nuclear power generation is necessary to achieve a stable electricity supply and a decarbonized society in the long term, according to a draft of the nation’s new nuclear policy.
    The current policy states that Japan “will reduce its dependence on nuclear power as much as possible.” That policy has shifted according to the draft presented by the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry on Monday. (The Japan News)
  • The Environment Ministry is considering creating a system to grant reward points to owners of electrified vehicles for the amount of carbon dioxide emissions they reduce by using them.
    The ministry hopes that the system will give vehicle owners an incentive to switch to electrified models and improve the fuel efficiency of their vehicles through careful driving, officials said. (The Japan News)
  • The agriculture ministry has devised a mechanism for calculating how much farmers have reduced their emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, compared with conventional cultivation methods, as they seek to go greener.
    The ministry is conducting a demonstration and test of its method to rate emissions cuts on a scale of one to three stars, to make progress in decarbonization efforts more visible, as it aims to help boost environmental awareness among farmers and consumers alike. (The Japan Times)

Upcoming EBC Committee Meetings

Date Committee Time / Location
Dec 2 (Fri) Liquor Web
0830~
Dec 5 (Mon) Logistics & Freight EBC & Web
1600
Dec 7 (Wed) Energy EBC & Web
1330~
Dec 8 (Thu) Medical Equipment & Diagnostics Off-site
1430-~
Dec 9 (Fri) Sustainability & Social Responsibility EBC
0930~
Dec 9 (Fri) Railways EBC & Web
1600~
Dec 12 (Mon) Materials EBC & Web
1730~
Dec 15 (Thu) Human Resources Web
0930~
Dec 15 (Thu) Telecommunications Equipment EBC & Web
1000~

If you are interested in joining a committee meeting, please contact the EBC to confirm the time and meeting place.

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Stakeholders of the EBC:

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