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2016 March 2 - 8 [POLITICS]

JCP Kurabayashi urges gov’t to take effective measures to promote renewable energy

Japanese Communist Party lawmaker Kurabayashi Akiko on March 4 in a Diet committee meeting criticized the government for supporting coal-fired power generation and underscored the need for the promotion of renewable energy sources.

In a House of Councilors Budget committee meeting, Kurabayashi revealed that under the Abe government’s energy strategy, a number of coal-burning power plants are planned to be constructed or currently being constructed across the country. She asked for specific details on the energy policy situation. In response to Kurabayashi’s inquiry, an Environment Ministry official said that the construction of additional power stations capable of generating a total of 18GW of electricity has been planned, and that the estimated amount of CO2 emissions from coal-burning power plants will reach 290 million tons in 2030.

In December 2015, Japan and other countries in the COP21 climate talks adopted the Paris Agreement which calls on the international community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to keep the rise of global temperatures within two degrees celsius above the pre-industrialization level.

The JCP parliamentarian insisted that although Japan is required to implement effective measures to combat climate change based on the epoch-making Paris Agreement, there is no prospect for the Japanese government to achieve its CO2 reduction target of a 26% cut by 2030 and an 80% by 2050.

Economy Minister Hayashi Motoo in reply merely said that the government expects corporations and business entities to take appropriate actions, putting on full display his irresponsible attitude.

Kurabayashi explained that fossil fuel divestment movements are gaining momentum in the U.S. and Britain and that over 500 organizations and investors are considering pulling their money out of carbon intensive industries.

In contrast, Kurabayashi stressed, Japan is expanding support for coal-burning power stations. She stressed that what the government should do is to promote renewable energy technologies.