Japan to lead towards carbon-free Asia: Premier Kishida

ISTANBUL

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Monday pledged to “take the lead” in making Asia carbon-free.

Japan will try to “create a huge decarbonization market capable of attracting investment from around the world to Asia,” Kishida told the first-ever summit of the Asia Zero Emission Community, or AZEC, in Tokyo.

Reducing carbon dioxide emissions is a "common challenge" for the region, said Kishida, according to Tokyo-based Kyodo News.

AZEC joint statement said the leaders “agreed to pursue decarbonization through diverse and practical pathways, depending on the circumstance and different starting point of each country."