At Major Economies Forum, Climate Campaigners Respond to Polluters’ Lobbying Efforts, Calling On Japanese PM Aso to be a Climate Hero
(Paris)— Youth leaders and members of global advocacy group Avaaz.org today launched an international effort aimed at persuading Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso to lead by example with a tough target to combat climate change.
The campaign is designed to ratchet up pressure on Japan ahead of a 2020 emissions reduction target announcement expected from Mr Aso within weeks, in the face of a massive lobbying effort by polluting Japanese corporations, and was launched to coincide with this week’s meeting of the Major Economies Forum (MEF) in Paris, France. Youth leaders from seven countries gathered with Avaaz members outside the forum with a giant image of Japanese PM Taro Aso behind bars, calling on him to be a climate hero, not a “climate criminal.”
“We are asking Prime Minister Aso to take a stand - to tell polluting industries that the free ride is over and show that one of the world’s strongest economies is going to position itself as a leader in the battle against climate change,” said Avaaz.org Executive Director Ricken Patel. “The Japanese government’s ‘public consultation’ process around the ...
