2015 was a historic year for global action against climate change, culminating with 196 countries coming together in Paris to strike a new climate agreement. But much work remains to be done, and in 2016 the world faces an immediate and difficult question: Will countries continue to build on the progress that has been made, or will they slip into complacency now that the bright spotlight of Paris has dimmed?
The White House has made it clear that President Barack Obama sees fighting climate change as a top international priority this year, and Japan is well-positioned to be a leading partner in this effort. In particular, Japan can use its position as host of the Group of Seven in May to ensure the climate issue is on the agenda at the summit.
But what, exactly, should the G-7 do under Japan’s leadership? One critical contribution would be to focus on an area in which Japan has heavily invested in already: improving the ability of countries, particularly the most vulnerable, to cope with the impacts of natural disasters in a world in which climate change is fueling more extreme weather events…