1. Background and purpose

In order to achieve a positive cycle of economic growth and environmental sustainability, Japan must use its 2030 reduction targets and goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 as opportunities for growth, and increase its industrial competitiveness accordingly. For this to happen, it will be necessary for a group of companies working swiftly toward carbon neutrality and succeeding internationally to lead the transformation (GX: green transformation) of the overall economic and social system.

METI is doing the following to prepare for the GX League: calling for companies to actively work on GX; aiming for GX through cooperation in the government, academic, and economic spheres; and acting as a forum for discussing the transformation of the overall economic and social system and creating new markets accordingly.

The GX League Basic Concept provides basic guidelines on what kind of world view the GX League should aim for, what kinds of companies it should work with, and how it should work with them on what kind of schedule. Its purpose is to promote discussion of detailed design matters and empirical demonstration of efforts toward implementing the GX League in FY2022.

2. What the GX League Basic Concept contains

The August 2021 interim report compiled as a result of discussions by the Study Group on Ideal Economic and Other Approaches for Achieving Worldwide Carbon Neutrality (Chair: Mr. Hiroshi Ohashi, Dean, Graduate School of Public Policy, the University of Tokyo) indicates the major directions to aim for in the following areas:

• The world to aim for through the GX League efforts
• The thinking regarding companies participating in the GX League
• The efforts and projects regarding the GX League
• Incentives and support for companies participating in the GX League
• How to proceed with preparations toward establishing the GX League

In particular, in indicating directions related to the thinking regarding companies participating in the GX League, the report states that the following three kinds of efforts are necessary:

1. Efforts to reduce their own emissions (Set their own targets for working toward the 1.5°C goal, work to achieve them, and make their efforts public.)
2. Efforts to achieve carbon neutrality in the supply chains (not limited to their own carbon neutrality, aim to make their supply chains carbon neutral as well, by actively working on a wide range of players throughout them.)
3. Efforts in markets through products and services (Lead the moves to make markets green by actively prioritizing purchasing green products)

• GX League Basic Concept (Full text) (in Japanese)(PDF:928KB)PDF

3. Call for endorsers for the GX League Basic Concept

METI is calling for companies to endorse the GX League Basic Concept with a view toward establishing the league.
In line with the Basic Concept, it will launch a secretariat for the preparations toward establishing the GX League, and will work together with companies that endorse the Basic Concept in its initial stages in preparation for having the league fully operational from April 2023 onward. To that end, it will also start demonstration projects in fall 2022 onward, including a carbon credit market.

4. Outline of the call for endorsers for the GX League Basic Concept

(1) How to apply

Please refer to the GX League Basic Concept(in Japanese) for how to apply.
Note: The application method may change even during the application period. When applying, please check the above page for any relevant updates.

(2) Application period

Start of the call:

February 1 (Tue.), 2022

Deadline for the call:

March 31 (Thu.), 2022

Division in Charge

Environmental Economy Office, Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau