With less than a month to go before the convention on biological diversity in Nagoya, newly appointed Environment Minister Ryu Matsumoto said he is doing his best to make the international meeting a success.
"Environment issues are common issues for mankind, and we need to consider the benefits for humans and the Earth. But at the same time, we must think of national interests," he said. "It will be a challenge to compile an agreement, but it's also going to be a very exciting role to play."
Japan will be playing host to the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, or COP10, from Oct. 18 to 29, when member states will try to set new targets to conserve organisms and come to an agreement on how to use biodiversity in a sustainable and fair way.