Takeshi Miyamoto is a man on a mission, but things haven't been going his way.

Earlier this year, his group, the Japan Iron and Steel Federation, an influential business association under the powerful Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren), worked strenuously to convey its concerns to then-Prime Minister Taro Aso's study group on climate change.

As managing director of the iron federation, Miyamoto personally visited the offices of the then ruling Liberal Democratic Party to ensure officials realized the grim outlook for Japan's manufacturing industry if the country adopted bold measures to combat climate change.