SAN FRANCISCO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today signed an agreement with Japan’s Ambassador to the United States Kenichiro Sasae to further cooperation between Japan and California on climate change, renewable energy, trade and investment, zero-emission vehicles, high-speed rail and water.
The agreement calls for the two entities to collaborate on technologies that will support California’s goal of having 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025, as well as innovation related to high-speed rail, water conservation and renewable energy. Last year, Governor Brown met with Osaka Governor Ichiro Matsui and signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation between California and its sister-state in Japan on clean energy, environmental protection, tourism and other areas.
The agreement follows Governor Brown’s July Trade and Investment Mission to Mexico and meetings with Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto in Sacramento and Los Angeles last month. Over the past year, Governor Brown has also signed accords with leaders from Mexico, China, Canada, Israel and Peru to combat climate change, strengthen California’s economic ties and expand cooperation on promising research. In February, Governor Brown established the California International Trade and Investment Advisory Council to help expand international business opportunities for California companies and appointed former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary Eleni Kounalakis as chair.
The full text of the agreement signed today is copied below:
MEMORANDUM OF COOPERATION ON CLIMATE CHANGE, RENEWABLE ENERGY, TRADE AND INVESTMENT, VEHICLES, HIGH SPEED RAIL AND WATER BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN AND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
This Memorandum of Cooperation (hereinafter referred to as “MOC”) is made by the Government of Japan and the State of California, United States of America (hereinafter collectively referred to as “Both Sides” and individually as “Side”). Both Sides note their shared concern about the threat of climate change as outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), as well as the Scientific Consensus Statement on Maintaining Humanity’s Life Support Systems in the 21st Century. Both Sides therefore share their intention to strengthen and coordinate efforts on climate change, renewable energy, trade and investment, vehicles particularly zero emission vehicles (ZEVs), high speed rail and water.
Item 1
Areas of Cooperation
Both Sides share the intention to cooperate on the following areas, according to the principles of equality and mutual benefit:
– Climate change, notably promoting dialogue and joint projects on climate change mitigation and adaptation, including on short-lived climate pollutants and cleaner freight transport;
– Renewable energy, notably promoting dialogue and joint projects on clean energy technology trade and deployment between Japan and California, with a particular focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy development;
– Energy storage, notably cooperative support for and expansion of the use of energy (electricity) storage technologies that are particularly focused on integrating higher penetrations of variable and intermittent renewable energy resources;
– Trade and investment, including the encouragement of economic and business development related to the clean technology sector through the fostering of joint industrial research and development (R&D), enhancement of business relationships, and the facilitation of collaboration between Japanese and Californian entrepreneurs through (but not limited to) California’s innovation hub (iHub) network, trade delegations, and public-private partnerships;
– Vehicles, particularly zero emission vehicles (ZEVs), notably including cooperation on best practices, regulatory requirements, research, incentives and other measures to accelerate the ongoing rollout of ZEVs including DC fast chargers;
– Joint engagement with cities, sister agencies, nongovernmental organizations, academia and the private sector, through existing public/private collaboratives and partnerships, to effectively and efficiently achieve California’s goal of bringing on the necessary infrastructure to support 1 million ZEVs in California by 2020 and 1.5 million ZEVs by 2025;
– Cooperation on possible demonstration project(s) on the effectiveness of DC fast charging and enhanced EV use through EV charging infrastructure deployment in California;
– High-speed rail (HSR)and other passenger rail services, through an exchange of information and best practices on safety including seismic safety measures, planning, operations reliability, environmental friendliness, technology including tunneling, station area development, and social and economic effects of high-speed rail and other passenger rail services;
– Water conservation and management, by encouraging business development and commercialization of technologies related to securing water resources, recycling, and strengthening environmental conservation; and
– Any other activities mutually decided by Both Sides.
Item 2
Forms of Cooperation
Forms of cooperation may include the following, as well as any other forms decided by Both Sides:
1) Specific projects, including technology and infrastructure demonstration projects;
2) Sharing information and experiences regarding policies and programs, as well as policy design and capacity building support;
3) Exchanges and temporary assignments of personnel from one Side to the other;
4) Cooperative research, development, and deployment projects on clean, energy efficient and/or low carbon technologies;
5) Joint organization of symposia, seminars, workshops, exhibitions, and training;
6) Participation in other commitments and/or initiatives, including multilateral consortiums;
7) Innovation hubs;
8) Participation and support from universities, non-governmental organizations, and other organizations; and
9) Any other mutually acceptable forms of cooperation that contribute to the goals of this MOC.
Item 3
Implementation
Both Sides will, on a regular basis, inform and consult with one another on matters of common interest that represent opportunities for mutual benefit consistent with this MOC.
In order to follow up on the implementation of this MOC, the Government of Japan designates the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the Ministry of the Environment (MOE), the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLIT), and the Consulate-General of Japan in San Francisco, and the State of California designates the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), and the California State Transportation Agency. These organizations will coordinate the implementation of this MOC, as appropriate, with other commitments between entities in Japan and California, and will meet regularly, including at least once annually in person or by video or telephone conference.
Item 4
Duration, Termination, Modification
The cooperation under this MOC will continue two years from the date of its signature by Both Sides and may be modified and/or its effective term extended as decided by Both Sides in writing.
Either Side may terminate the cooperation under this MOC after 45 days written notice to the other Side.
This MOC is signed in San Francisco on September 5, 2014 in the Japanese and English languages, both texts having equal values.
Kenichiro Sasae
Ambassador
Embassy of Japan
Edmund G. Brown, Jr.
Governor
State of California
Photo captions can be found below:
1)Governor Brown meets with Ambassador Sasae
2)Governor Brown and Ambassador Sasae sign agreement
Photo Credit: Justin Short, Office of the Governor. For high resolution copies of these photos, please contact Danella Debel, Office of the Governor at Danella.Debel@gov.ca.gov.