On April 22, 2021, the Japanese prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, announced the country's new target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.[1] Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said, "I have pledged to achieve a carbon-neutral society by 2050 and have made it a pillar of our growth strategies. Japan is now taking a giant step forward toward solving global challenges. In line with our goal for 2050, and as a more ambitious goal, we now aim to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 46% by 2030, compared with fiscal 2013 levels. In addition, Japan would further try to push the reduction as high as 50%." The 46% reduction will be a significant increase from the current 2030 target set 6 years ago of a 26% reduction from 2013. The prime minister acknowledged that the new target would not be easy and said, “In order to achieve the target, we will firmly implement concrete measures, while aiming to create a positive cycle that links the economy and environment and achieve strong growth.” Specifically, the plan calls for the maximized use of decarbonized power sources like renewable energy, stimulus measures to encourage investment, and the establishment of a "Green International Financial Center" to attract global funding, which is said to be worth 3000 trillion yen. It also calls for support for decarbonization within Japan and around the world, including Asian countries.

[1] http://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/99_suga/actions/202104/22ondanka.html