Japan Press Weekly

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2007 August 22 - 28 [ENVIRONMENT]

Take without delay drastic measures to deal with global warming

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

An interim report compiled on August 10 by advisory panels to the Environment Ministry and the Industry Ministry made clear that Japan will not be able to achieve its goal set in the “Kyoto Protocol” to cut greenhouse effect gases by six percent in 2012 compared to 1990.

Outlook too optimistic, measures too lax

A year after the “Kyoto Protocol” was adopted in 1997, the government adopted specific measures to achieve “a six-percent reduction” in greenhouse gases and has repeatedly reviewed its measures since then. In the past nine years, however, greenhouse gas emissions have continued to increase. As of 2005, the emissions increased by 7.8 percent from the 1990 level. The government must reflect on its overly optimistic outlook and lax measures.

The most notable problem in the government’s “six-percent reduction” plan is that it has left emissions reductions in the industrial and the energy sectors, the largest emitters, to business circles’ voluntary efforts. More than 60 percent of the amount of CO2 emissions comes from the energy and industrial sectors.

Business circles have insisted that Japan’s manufacturers have the best energy efficiency in the world and that they have already reduced their emissions as much as possible. However, the manufactures have held off on investments in improving energy efficiency, resulting in losing the grounds for the claim. In any case, it is impossible for the government to secure the implementation of the government plan by leaving the matter to business circles’ voluntary efforts.

Despite this, the government interim report again left the mechanism to rely on business circles in dealing with the energy and industrial sectors intact. It also put off consideration of creating an emission trading system which is said to be effective in reducing emissions.

Within this framework, the “six-percent reduction” goal can never be attained, no matter how many times the government reexamines its measures to prevent global warming. The government must put an end to relying on business circles’ “voluntary” efforts and take drastic measures by concluding a reduction agreement with the business community so that the government clearly bears the responsibility for achieving the goal.

The government is claiming that an increase in the number of nuclear power plants will contribute to the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. However, nuclear power generation is imperfect technology and concern over the safety of nuclear power plants is deepening.

The interim report also put forward a plan to reduce the power generation sector’s greenhouse gas emissions by calculating the usage rate of nuclear power plants as high as 87-88 percent. However, this calculation lacks validity amid a series of accidents and problems at nuclear power plants, posing a dilemma of increasing emissions.

The government must largely increase the goal of development and use of natural energy resources and raise the price at which power companies buy electricity.

To fulfill international responsibility

Achievement of the goal set in the “Kyoto Protocol” is just the first step. To really prevent global warming, it is necessary to reduce the amount of emissions by half in the mid-21st century and stabilize the emission volume. The government adopted the policy of “reducing the emissions by half in 2050,” but it obviously cannot meet this goal while failing to achieve even the “six-percent reduction” goal. - Akahata, August 19, 2007