Ratas discussed the fight against climate change, with support from renewable energy and digital solutions, with Japan’s Minister of the Environment

Tokyo, Japan, 10 February 2020 – At his meeting with Japan’s Minister of the Environment, Shinjirō Koizumi, Prime Minister Jüri Ratas discussed ways in which to fight climate change with the help of renewable energy and digital solutions.

‘We are both interested in developing technological solutions that will provide us with clean energy in the future – to reduce Estonia’s dependence on oil shale and Japan’s use of coal power’, said Ratas. ‘We wish to develop cooperation with Japan, for example, in areas such as hydrogen technology, the circular economy and energy storage technologies’, said Ratas.

Japan’s Minister of the Environment provided an overview of the activities undertaken by the country’s local governments in fighting climate change.

Today, in Tokyo, Ratas also opened a business seminar for Estonian and Japanese companies, organised by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren), which focused on e-solutions, green energy and development cooperation opportunities in third countries. Prime Minister Ratas spoke about Estonia’s e-government, and Minister of Education and Science Reps spoke on educational topics. Keidanren is one of the most influential organisations in Japan’s business landscape, connecting 1412 companies and 156 business organisations.

Tomorrow, on 11 February, Ratas will be travelling to Ichikawa, together with Estonian entrepreneurs, Minister of Education and Science Mailis Reps and Riigikogu member and Chairman of the Estonia-Japan Friendship Group Kaido Höövelson. There he will meet with Mayor Hirotami Murakoshi and open a business seminar. After which the Prime Minister will return to Tokyo, where an Estonian and Japanese corporate business seminar, dedicated to digital services, will take place.

The business delegation includes representatives from Star Cloud (e-textbooks), BugBox Ltd., Cleveron, K12 Technologies (e-school), Admiral Markets Group, Elcogen, Balsnack International Holding, Planetway, Helmes, RaulWalter, DefSecIntel Solutions, Millennium Invest/Oryaku, Ecomatic, Datel, Aktors, Cybernetica, GoSwift, Tech Heroes Club, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Enterprise Estonia.

Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/stenbockimaja/albums/72157713046806286