Senior officials from the European Union and Japan met in Brussels this week for a High-Level Dialogue on Climate Change, pledging to significantly deepen bilateral cooperation to achieve climate neutrality. Against the backdrop of the ongoing crisis in the Gulf region, both powers underscored that the transition to clean energy is now a matter of national security and independence, as well as a prerequisite for long-term economic competitiveness.
The dialogue was led by Kurt Vandenberghe, the European Commission’s Director-General for Climate Action, and DOI Kentaro, Japan’s Vice-Minister for Global Environmental Affairs. During the summit, both parties reaffirmed their “unwavering commitment” to the Paris Agreement, stressing the urgent need to scale up climate action during this decade to keep the 1.5°C global temperature limit within reach.
A central focus of the meeting was the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The delegates discussed progress toward 2030 targets and looked ahead to the next cycle of climate pledges for 2035 and 2040. In a show of diplomatic alignment, the EU and Japan agreed to work together to ensure the success of the upcoming COP31 summit in Antalya later this year, while assisting other nations in delivering their transparency reports and climate commitments.
The meeting also served as a progress review of the landmark Green Alliance established in May 2021. Looking forward, the partners agreed to a comprehensive schedule of bilateral exchanges throughout 2026. These sessions will focus on critical technical and economic levers, including industrial decarbonisation, carbon pricing, carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS), and sustainable finance. Both sides also committed to fostering climate action at the sub-national level, recognising that local government initiatives are essential to hitting national net-zero targets.
