Statement by Yoshimitsu Kobayashi, Chairman of Keizai Doyukai
On U.S. Announcement of Withdrawal from Paris Climate Agreement

June 2, 2017

Yoshimitsu Kobayashi
Chairman, Keizai Doyukai

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1. U.S. President Trump announced today that his country will withdraw from the international framework of global warming countermeasures, "the Paris Agreement." The withdrawal was one of Mr. Trump's pledges during his presidential election campaign. It is very disappointing that the world's second largest greenhouse gas emitter has actually announced its departure.
2. Japan and its peers such as Europe, China, and India must reaffirm the sense of alertness shared when the Paris Agreement was adopted against global warming and also firmly unite to comply with the Agreement's framework.
3. One of the factors behind the decision of the withdrawal announcement is his priority to economic growth over environmental protection. In this regard, Japan should demonstrate leadership in proving that the innovation in global warming countermeasures can result in economic growth toward the realization of sustainable economy, society, and the earth.

Japanese version