The world needs Asia to address climate change — if not, net-zero emissions will be out of reach, the CEO of a Japanese beverage giant said this week.

Takeshi Niinami from Suntory said that Asia has a significant role to play in combating climate change. This was his opinion speaking to CNBC for the Virtual Sustainable Future Forum

He stated that “unless Asia takes all necessary steps to address sustainability issues, we will not achieve carbon neutrality in 2050.” Asia is key to achieving the goal of 2050.

The goal of carbon neutrality is to have a net-zero emission of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The 2015 Paris climate accord provides for the following: countries aim to reach peak greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible so that they can reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

Niinami claimed that the region was left out of climate standards and rules when they were created.

He said that “the rules or shapes made by the west don’t apply to Asia” and noted the “huge differences between the various countries of the region.”

Suntory is an affiliate of the Sustainability Leaders Council. It is an initiative to improve sustainability in Asia.

Countries under the Paris Agreement agreed to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius – the threshold that scientists say could stave off the worst impact of global warming.

Niinami declared, “Sustainability issues cannot be ignored.” It’s a must if we are to survive.