Japan Press Weekly

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2011 December 14 - 20 [ENVIRONMENT]

No time left, we all must immediately tackle climate change

The 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change held on November 28-December 11 in South Africa’s Durban closed with adopting the extension of the Kyoto Protocol and the establishment of a new framework in which all countries, including China and the United States, will participate.

Akahata on December 19 ran an interview with Hayakawa Mitsutoshi, an executive director of the Citizens Alliance for Saving the Atmosphere and the Earth (CASA), on how he sees the COP17 outcome.

Japan refuses to join extension of Kyoto Protocol

The 1997 Kyoto Protocol requires developed countries to meet reduction targets of greenhouse gases only until 2012. A major challenge at the COP 17, therefore, was to reach an agreement on a target to be effective after 2013. Under the circumstances in which the United States left the Kyoto accord and that newly industrialized countries such as China and India are increasing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, it was also important for the Conference to figure out how to construct a framework so that these nations will also take steps to address emissions-reduction efforts.

Japan disagreed on establishing a 2nd commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol by insisting the need for a protocol in which all nations participate. Russia and Canada sided with Japan against the position taken by developing countries which argued that developed countries must agree first on the reduction target based on the principle of “common but differentiated responsibility”. For countries vulnerable to the effects of global warming, the Kyoto Protocol, with legally binding power in regard to the carbon emission reduction target, offers a significant vehicle as a means to put brakes on the increasing manifestations of global warming. An African delegate at the COP 17 opening plenary said, “We don’t want Durban to be the graveyard of the Kyoto Protocol.” This statement had a resonating impact.

Finally, the Conference agreed with the 2nd commitment period starting in 2013 and also agreed to set each country’s concrete goal in the next year’s COP 18. As for a framework for all countries to join, including the United States and newly emerging countries, the Conference agreed to set up a new working group and to get a framework agreed on by 2015 at the latest. From this perspective, I see that the COP 17 made some progress.

No time left

Japan, however, announced that it will not join the 2nd commitment period. If Japan does not set its reduction target to be effective after 2013, Japan will be considered as a free-rider on the agreement named after the ancient city of “Kyoto” of which Japan is proud of. The Japanese government and the business lobby say that they will proceed with voluntary reduction efforts, but their statements of intent are not convincing at all because even within the 1st commitment period, they did not accomplish the target goal. Under the guise of the Fukushima nuclear crisis, Japan is seeking to retract the promise it made to the world that Japan will cut emissions by 25% by 2020 from the 1990 level. Abandoning the 25%-cut goal will inevitably arouse international criticism against Japan.

This year, the concentration of greenhouse gases emitted has hit a record high. Arctic sea ice has also experienced a record thaw. Negative effects of global warming are becoming obvious, and we must be aware that almost no time is left to reverse the situation.