Japan Press Weekly

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2010 March 10 - 16 [ENVIRONMENT]

Cabinet decides on a 25% cut in greenhouse gas emissions

However, preconditions are set at the request of business circles: a midterm target will be set “only after other major countries establish a fair framework and reach an agreement to work for an ambitious goal.”

The key to tackle global warming is to achieve a cut in the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by industry which accounts for 80-90 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions. The past government left this up to individual efforts of individual companies.

The present government, on the one hand, proposes that an emissions trading system basically place a cap on the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions. On the other, it is considering adopting a method to regulate the amount of CO2 emissions per unit of output in response to the business lobby demand. With this method, emissions will grow with increases in production.

The government is also considering keeping the use of “renewable energy” at just 10 percent of primary energy sources by 2020.

The previous government recognized the use of nuclear-power generation as the best way to combat global warming and placed importance on nuclear power. The present government should expand the use of renewable energy in order to not further promote nuclear-dependant efforts to supposedly counter global warming.
- Akahata, March 13, 2010