Message from the President
We have entered a new fiscal year this April, with new colleagues joining our organization.
Amid rapidly evolving and unpredictable global political and economic landscape, OECC continues to advance a broad range of initiatives aimed at realizing a decarbonized and sustainable society. These efforts are grounded in the knowledge and expertise we have cultivated through our longstanding work addressing pressing environmental challenges, including climate change, the circular economy, and biodiversity loss.
At the UNFCCC COP30 of last November, we observed a notable shift in emphasis—from intergovernmental negotiations toward a platform that increasingly fosters practical implementation through diverse, action-oriented initiatives. In this context, the growing presence of the financial sector at the conference was particularly striking, reflecting heightened interest in climate finance as a strategic opportunity. While transparency frameworks for the measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of greenhouse gas emissions continue to take shape under the Paris Agreement, guidelines for corporate disclosure of climate-related actions have been rapidly developed in the financial community. Against this backdrop, the “Partnership to Strengthen Transparency for Co-Innovation” (PaSTI), jointly promoted by OECC, the Ministry of the Environment, Japan and ASEAN Member States, is gaining recognition within the financial community. I am sure that effective coordination between these evolving processes will be essential.
Cities have long played a vital role in addressing climate change, and their role is expanding further in advancing the circular economy. In this regard, the “Asian Circular Cities Declaration” (ACCD), launched by ICLEI Japan last November, has already garnered the support of 24 major cities across the region.
In a world undergoing profound transformation, OECC remains committed to contributing to the international community as a leading institution in the field of environment and development cooperation.
