Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) Planetary Health Project has submitted public comments on the ‘GX2040 Vision (Draft)’ by Investment Promotion Division for Transition to a Decarbonized, Growth-Oriented Economic Structure, GX (Green Transformation) Policy Group, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The call for public comments for this draft is now closed.

The GX2040 Vision (draft) serves as a revision of the “Strategy for Promoting Transition to a Decarbonized, Growth-Oriented Economic Structure,” which was approved by the Cabinet in 2023 to enhance the predictability of investments related to GX. The GX2040 Vision was presented at the GX Implementation Council and was developed in close coordination with the Seventh Strategic Energy Plan.

In May 2024, the Japanese government joined the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH) and declared its commitment to building a low-carbon and sustainable healthcare system. In the same month, the hospital industry set a new goal of a 46% reduction in CO2 emissions intensity by 2030 compared to 2013.

According to an international survey, GHG emissions from the health sector in various countries averaged 4.4%, while Japan’s GHG emissions were as high as 6.4%.

The health sector also generates an environmental burden, and GX initiatives are essential to protect the health of the planet and human health. In light of this situation, HGPI submitted public comments including the following points.

Key points of the public comment

• The addition of the health and medical sectors to the GX initiative and the development of a specific roadmap
• Emphasize that GX initiatives will create synergies in both the environment and health
• Incorporate a health perspective in the implementation of GX initiatives

Planetary Health Project also published recommendations for NDCs in December 2024: ‘Integrating Climate and Health for a Sustainable Society: Incorporating a Planetary Health Perspective into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)’.

For more information on this public comment, please click here (only available in Japanese).