Photo/Illutration Yasutoshi Nishimura, right, minister of economy, trade and industry, and Environment Minister Akihiro Nishimura at a news conference in Sapporo on April 16 after the Group of Seven meeting (Susumu Imaizumi)

SAPPORO--While chair Japan touted an agreement to phase out fossil fuels, a Group of Seven ministers’ meeting here made little progress on climate change initiatives due partly to the nation’s reluctance. 

The communique adopted after the meeting of G-7 climate, energy and environment ministers on April 15-16 expressed commitment to “accelerate the phase-out of unabated fossil fuels,” including natural gas.

“We have reached an agreement for the first time to phase out unabated fossil fuels (for which no emissions reduction measures are taken) in the entire energy sector,” industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who chaired the meeting, told a news conference.

Progress has been limited in specific areas, however.

Britain and Canada, for example, had pushed for a commitment to abolish coal-fired power generation in 2030. But Japan, a coal holdout, opposed the proposal.

The G-7 members settled on the same wording as last year’s communique: “achieving a fully or predominantly decarbonized power sector by 2035.”

While acknowledging the need to reduce natural gas consumption, the G-7 members said “investment in the gas sector can be appropriate” if projects are consistent with targets to reduce greenhouse gases.

The language was weakened from Japan’s original proposal to say investment is “necessary.” Nevertheless, investment in natural gas projects will continue to be allowed.

European nations and the United States had demanded including a target for the introduction of zero-emission vehicles, including electric vehicles, which do not emit carbon dioxide.

But the G-7 members eventually agreed on a less ambitious Japanese proposal.

The communique said they “note the opportunity to collectively reduce by at least 50 percent, CO2 emissions from G-7 vehicle stock by 2035 or earlier relative to the level in 2000.”

In a report released in March, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 60 percent by 2035 to achieve the goal of limiting the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees above pre-Industrial Revolution levels.

The International Energy Agency said industrialized countries need to phase out fossil fuels for which no emissions reduction measures are taken by 60 percent by 2035 and stop new development of oil and gas projects.

Japan had expected to win support for the technology to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by burning hydrogen and ammonia mixed with fossil fuels.

But European nations criticized the proposal for prolonging the use of fossil fuels. The G-7 members only said in the communique that “some countries are exploring the use” of hydrogen and ammonia if it is consistent with the 1.5-degree goal.

“Japan tried to highlight policies it wanted to promote due to domestic reasons, but the brakes were applied under the stern eyes of the world,” said Kimiko Hirata, director of Climate Integrate, a think tank. “We expect Japan to seriously move toward achieving the 1.5-degree goal, without interpreting the communique to suit its purpose.”

Japan initially tried to secure support from other G-7 members for its plans to release treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant and include the expression “welcome (such plans)” in the communique.

The communique only said the G-7 countries “support” the International Atomic Energy Agency’s independent review to ensure that the discharge of treated water will be conducted consistent with IAEA safety standards and international law.

However, Nishimura said the language agreed to is one of the important achievements for Japan.

“We want to steadily proceed with the plan in a transparent manner based on scientific grounds and international standards,” he said.

(This article was written by Kai Ichino and Susumu Imaizumi.)

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