【Agenda of the Event】
Opening remarks by Mr. Miyazaki Akihiro, JICA
1. Vision for a carbon neutral city in Bangkok
-Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Initiatives for Zero Carbon by Ms. Woranuch Suaykakaow, Deputy Director General of Department of Environment, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)
-City-to-city cooperation with Bangkok and sharing experiences by the City of Yokohama by Dr. Kazuaki Takahashi, Executive Director for Planning and Coordination Department, Climate Change Policy Headquarters, City of Yokohama
-Result of a survey and proposal on green recovery plan from COVID-19 Pandemic toward sustainable city in Bangkok by Mr. Makoto Kato, General Manager/Principal Researcher, OECC
-Commentary from Mr. Kimihiro Kuromizu, Chief Advisor, JICA Project for Climate Change Master Plan

2. Capacity development at national level for full implementation of Paris Agreement
-Planning and implementation of climate change mitigation actions under the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in Viet Nam and the role of JICA technical cooperation by Dr. Luong Quang Huy, Department of Climate Change, MONRE, Viet Nam
-Commentary from Mr. Koji Fukuda, Chief Advisor, JICA SPI-NDC Project in Viet Nam
-Planning and implementation of climate change adaptation in Indonesia and the role of JICA technical cooperation by Dr. SudhianiPratiwi, Intermediate Planning Officer, Directorate of Environmental Affairs, Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Planning
Agency (BAPPENAS)
-Commentary from Dr. Jun Ichihara, Chief Advisor, JICA Climate Change Project Phase 2 in Indonesia

3. Discussion on climate change cooperation for capacity development

• • Dr. Kazuaki Takahashi Yokohama City Executive Director for Planning and Coordination Department, Climate Change Policy Headquarters
  • Mr. Makoto Kato OECC
  • Dr. Luong Quang Huy Department of Climate Change, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Vietnam
  
  ▼Online speakers
  • Mr. Akihiro Miyazaki, Global Environment Department, JICA Deputy Director General
  • Ms. Woranuch Suaykakaow Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Deputy Director General of Department of Environment
  • Mr. Kimihiro Kuromizu JICA Project on the Bangkok Master Plan on Climate Change Chief Advisor
  • Mr. Koji Fukuda JICA Project SPI-NDC in Vietnam Chief Advisor
  • Dr. Sudhiani Pratiwi Directorate of Environmental Affairs, Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS)
  • Dr. Jun Ichihara JICA Climate Change Project Phase 2 Chief Advisor

In Southeast Asian countries, the strengthening of domestic climate change measures is progressing rapidly in light of the Paris Agreement.Efforts are being made on various fronts, including nationally determined contributions (NDCs), the formulation of long-term growth strategies aimed at decarbonizing after 2050, and climate change countermeasures at the city level. In Southeast Asia, which can be called the world's growth center, there is growing interest in whether a low-carbon, climate-resilient society can be established while sustaining economic growth. Through technical cooperation projects in Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, JICA has been supporting these countries in their efforts to combat climate change and promote sustainable development. In this session, the counterparts of those three technical cooperation projects shared the latest status of the development of national legal systems to promote climate change initiatives, updates of national development plans, and medium and long-term climate change initiatives at the city level.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the counterpart of the ongoing technical cooperation project regarding Bangkok Master Plan on Climate Change 2013-2023 Implementation in Thailand, is in the process of developing a new master plan on climate change that will set emission reduction targets by 2030 and actions to achieve those targets, including a long-term vision to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 as a long-term vision. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) of Vietnam, which is the counterpart of the project to support the implementation of NDC, introduced that the revision of the Law on Environmental Protection in November last year included climate change in the law, which established the domestic legal basis for the NDC. He emphasized the importance of strengthening the capacity of MONRE, relevant ministries and agencies, and the private sector to plan, implement, and monitor the NDCs, as well as to strengthen cooperation with the private sector for their steady implementation, and expressed his expectation for JICA's support. Indonesia's National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS), one of the counterparts of the Project of Capacity Development for Implementation of Climate Change Strategies Phase2, which is being implemented from May 2019, has set policies and targets for resilient development in the chapter on climate change in the current medium-term development plan (5 years from 2020-24). JICA is providing capacity building support for the implementation and monitoring of these policies and targets.
Finally, JICA concluded the session by saying that the activities of the technical cooperation project are progressing under the ownership of each country and city, and that the project will contribute to further efforts for long-term development and realization of a decarbonized and resilient society in each country and city.