Established JAHQCC (Japan Alliance for High Quality Carbon Credit) to contribute to solving climate change and social issues in developing countries and increase incomes through high-quality carbon credits

About JAHQCC

‍‍JAHQCC (Japan Alliance for High Quality Carbon Credit) aims to solve climate change and its underlying social issues and raise income levels through high quality carbon credits. Its short term goal is to provide information about the high quality carbon credits and learning through seminars with endorsing partners. JAHQCC will also provide its participating companies (annual membership fee of 3 million JPY) with various business opportunities related to decarbonisation and Africa’s mitigation / adaptation activities. As a mid-long term goal, JAHQCC aims to establish a carbon credit fund with a Japanese company LP (Limited Partner). The ambitious target of removing/absorbing/sequestering 30 million tons of CO2e and raising the incomes of 3 million farmers by 2030 has been set.

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Africa is particularly affected by the climate change among developing countries; yet accounts for approximately 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land, and has the potential for building large-scale carbon sequestration projects. With the recent international focus on high quality carbon credits, such developing countries can turn this crisis of multiple climate change events into an opportunity.

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JAHQCC activities

1. Information seminars (through reports and webinars etc)

JAHQCC will make and distribute Monthly reports and information from international organizations in Japanese. Also, a closed webinar will be organized for participating companies on high quality carbon credits.

2. Exchange of information and interaction with other organizations

With some endorsing partners, JAHQCC aims to talk to governments and get involved in the rule making to expand the use of high quality carbon credits.

3. Business opportunities

JAHQCC will organize meetings with leading high quality carbon credit funds and other organizations to support the collection of the cutting-edge information. JAHQCC will contribute to the creation of business opportunities for participating companies by providing opportunities to participate in various projects such as carbon sequestration and removal.

JAHQCC is committed to contributing to solving climate change and social issues through the creation of high quality carbon credit projects with participating companies and partners.

Comments from the participating companies (founding members) Alphabetical order

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Mr. Masami Kashiwakura, Executive Officer & Vice President (General Manager, Europe & Africa Division)

Ajinomoto aims to achieve carbon neutrality, which calls for limiting the net amount of its GHG emissions to zero by fiscal year 2050. In the environmentally conscious regions of Europe and Africa, the Ajinomoto Group is developing an agricultural business based on fermentation technology, and decarbonisation initiatives are one of the pillars of this business. We look forward to working with JAHQCC, which has a deep knowledge of carbon credits and Africa.

Japan Tobacco Inc. Mr. Hisato Imokawa, Senior Vice President, Chief Sustainability Officer

Through the creation and provision of our unique value for the sustainability of nature and society, together with our stakeholders and local communities, as a JT Group that aims to coexist in harmony with nature, we strongly sympathize with the aspirations of the JAHQCC to solve social issues by focusing on high quality carbon credits. We sincerely look forward to future developments.

MUFG Bank, Ltd. Mr. Daisuke Nishiyama, Managing Director, Head of Sustainable Business Division

The Bank places customer engagement at the heart of its sustainability-related activities and aims to contribute through a wide range of financial support, supporting customers’ decarbonisation strategies and removing obstacles and risks. Meanwhile, the carbon credit market, which is attracting growing interest in Japan and abroad, is expected to be fostered on the basis of sound business activities and quality assurance through appropriate auditing and certification. By becoming a member of the JAHQCC, the Bank hopes to play a new role as a financial institution by contributing to the creation and distribution of high quality credits in Africa, while also getting involved in rule-making to revitalize the international carbon credit market.

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