[Title] A Letter of COP 17 Ambassador Mr. Horie Masahiko to the Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC

Ms. Christiana Figueres

Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC

Dear Ms. Figeres,

The Government of Japan would like to refer to the letter dated 10 December 2010 from my predecessor Ambassador Mitsuo Sakaba to you Madam Executive Secretary, and would like to confirm that there is no change of Japan's position regarding the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol after 2012.

The target submitted by Japan in accordance with Copenhagen Accord, and taken note of in the Cancun Agreements is premised on its ultimate goal, namely, the establishment of a new, fair and effective international framework, in which all countries participate and on the agreement of their ambitious targets, and is relevant only in the context of the future comprehensive framework.

The Annex 1 to the decision of CMP.7 "Outcome of the work of the Ad Hoc working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol at its sixteenth session" clearly reflects Japan's above mentioned position, and Japan has no such intention as is taken note of in the paragraph 4, to convert its target to quantified emission limitation or reduction objective for the second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol. We understand the paragraph 5 of this decision which invites Parties to submit information on their QELROs for the second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol does not apply to Japan, but only applies to Parties that have such intention.

The Government of Japan would like to take this opportunity to make it clear that Japan will continue its best efforts to combat Climate Change both domestically and internationally.

Sincerely,

{A signature in Japanese is abbreviated}

Masahiko HORIE

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

for Global Environmental Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan