Japan stresses tech solutions to climate change at Hanover Fair

Apr 20, 2008, 18:03 GMT

Hanover, Germany - Climate change is the biggest task facing humanity, and technology has a huge role in solving the problem, former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said Sunday on opening the Germany's Hanover Fair alongside Chancellor Angel Merkel.

Abe, speaking as the special envoy of the Japanese government, said Japan was at the forefront of technologies to counter climate change and to move to a low-carbon society.

As Partner Country at the Hanover Fair, the world's largest industrial fair with a 60-year history, Japan's presentation would show its expertise in automated manufacture, robotics, energy technology and micro and nano technology, Abe said.

'I am of the opinion that climate change is the biggest task facing all of humanity and that a solution must be found by the political leaders,' Abe said.

He noted that Japan had taken over the chairmanship of the Group of Eight (G8) from Germany at the beginning of the year, carrying on the climate change agenda put forward by Merkel last year.

'Technology, in particular, has a huge role to play in solving this problem,' Abe said.

'As can be see by our work on the hybrid car, Japan has promoted the development and introduction of an extensive range of energy- saving technologies, and is thus world leader with respect to the level of energy efficiency.'

The former Japanese prime minister noted that Germany was Japan's largest trading partner in Europe and said the aim was to extend these ties.

He also noted that the two countries faced the twin problems of an ageing society and falling birth rates and as advanced industrial societies needed to implement structural reforms and promote 'next-generation industries.'

The Toyako G8 on Hokkaido in July represented a chance for Japan to convey its environmental message, Abe said.

Some 150 Japanese companies are among the 5,100 companies from 62 nations exhibiting at the fair this year.