Joint Message for Accelerating Climate Action

• 

  KOIKE Yuriko

  Governor of Tokyo

  Now is the time to accelerate our actions. Based on the experience and know-how that Tokyo Metropolitan Government has accumulated, we will take leadership in the building sector with "TIME TO ACT for Sustainable Buildings" and in hydrogen energy with "TIME TO ACT for Green Hydrogen" while contributing to the decarbonization of the world using Tokyo’s position as an international financial center to drive the global green finance market.

• 

  Anies Baswedan

  Governor of Jakarta

  Jakarta has committed to achieve a Climate-Resilient City, which means Jakarta does not only reduce Greenhouse Gas Emission, but also developing a resilient community and urban system to adapt to the changing environment. Jakarta is consistently taking a lead to sustainable mobility, for urban resilience, and for strong collaborations. By putting these statements, Jakarta opens its door to collaborate and support with various stakeholders and with other cities in climate actions to have a sustainable recovery.

• 

  Michael R. BLOOMBERG

  Founder, Bloomberg LP & Bloomberg Philanthropies
  108th Mayor of New York City
  UN Special Envoy for Climate Ambition and Solutions

  Investments in clean energy and climate solutions can help drive our economic recovery from COVID-19 and fight climate change. Now is the time to act – and cities, businesses, and local leaders are already leading the way. At Bloomberg Philanthropies, we’re helping them share solutions, raise their ambitions, and transition to clean energy, across Japan and around the world. By putting sustainability at the heart of our recovery plans, we can rebound from the pandemic in a way that is stronger, greener, and more resilient than ever before.

• 

  Eric GARCETTI

  Mayor of Los Angels
  Chair of C40 Cities

  Climate change is an existential threat to our cities, our health, and our economies -- and from Los Angeles to Tokyo, we must act now to forge a greener, more equitable future for our communities and our entire planet. No matter how big or small, every city has a role in taking climate action and meeting our low-carbon goals, and our coalition will never stop fighting to advance a strong vision of sustainability and justice.

• 

  Anne HIDALGO

  Mayor of Paris

  The health crisis is disrupting our societies. We are well aware that the environmental and health crises are interrelated. We have to address both challenges simultaneously. It is time to act for climate justice, together with the other players in this endeavor, especially our fellow citizens. Solutions have been found. They mostly rely on nature itself, as long as we are able to consider it. To preserve the great harmony of our world, we must at last acknowledge the connections between the fight against climate change and the protection of biodiversity on the planet.

• 

  Philipp HILDEBRAND

  Vice Chairman,
  BlackRock

  It’s time to act for the financial industry. It can play its role in a fair transition by helping to bridge the financing gap, supporting the reallocation of capital towards sustainable development, and away from unsustainable and harmful economic activities. Doing so is not only a question of long-term societal well-being but rather the best way to protect the long-term financial prospects of investors.

• 

  ISHII Naoko

  Executive Vice President,
  The University of Tokyo Professor at Institute for Future Initiatives Director,
  Center for Global Commons

  We are in the environmental emergency as our current economic model has put enormous pressure on the earth system to its breaking points. To achieve sustainable development within the planetary boundaries by 2050, we need to transform our economic systems, and we have only ten years left to change the course. Cities have shown incredible leadership in fighting climate change and will continue to play a critical role in the total systems transformation, through smart city design and pursuit of circularity. COVID-19 provides cities an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate the progress towards cleaner, healthier, sustainable and equitable future for all.

• 

  KAWAGUCHI Mariko

  Specially Appointed Professor,
  Rikkyo University Executive Advisor to CEO,
  Fuji Oil Holdings Inc.

  We are experiencing an unprecedented crisis with the COVID-19 pandemic in the midst of the climate crisis and both of the crises are said to be the result of human activities. The flip side of this is that the escape and recovery from the crises depends on our decisive actions and swift shift in consciousness. Appreciating the blessings of the earth and aiming for a society where the dignity of people is protected, let's take a step toward a sustainable society living on this land in the spirit of Edo, which created 300 years of prosperity without relying on fossil fuels.

• 

  David ROCKEFELLER, Jr.

  Director,
  Rockefeller Capital Management

  

  Susan ROCKEFELLER

  Founder,
  Musingsmag.com

  As global citizens involved in business, philanthropy and conservation, the time to act is NOW. We commit to supporting in all our endeavors decarbonization initiatives for the benefit of our oceans, our food systems and our planet. Whether working as owners of productive farmland, directors of corporate boards, trustees of philanthropic foundations, or voting citizens in local and national elections, we pledge to align our actions with a dramatic reduction in carbon output.

• 

  TAKENAKA Heizo

  Professor Emeritus,
  Keio University
  Former Minister of State

  Pandemics can teach us all important lessons; when they occur they reveal the weaknesses of our society. The COVID-19 crisis has made us aware of just how inadequately we are prepared for a tail risk, which does not happen frequently but can be catastrophic once it happens. And there is a greater tail risk than the pandemic—the destruction of the global environment the world is now facing. Now is the time for us to clearly acknowledge the threat of the climate crisis and proceed with firm determination and commitment to decarbonization.

• 

  Nigel TOPPING

  COP26 High-Level Climate Action Champion, UK

  The momentum generated by the more than 200 Japanese local governments' commitments to net zero was a driving force behind the country’s announcement to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. This should give Japan’s governors and mayors the confidence to turn their net zero ambitions into tangible plans of action, following the lead of Governor Koike’s new plan to halve Tokyo’s emissions by 2030.  Her Time to Act initiative is exactly what the Race to Zero is all about.

• 

  YOSHITAKA Mari

  Principal Sustainability Strategist
  Deputy General Manager of Corporate Planning Dept.
  Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting Co., Ltd.

  While they may tend to underestimate possible crises in the distant future, people pay much more attention to immediate crises that threaten their daily lives. Climate change has already become an immediate crisis. And COVID-19 has given us an opportunity to change our sense of values and stress the need to address the crisis. If we do not start acting now, the time will come when something with considerable destructive power may defeat humanity. Let’s move toward creating a brighter future with no one left behind.