Photo/Illutration An area in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, which was damaged by the Noto Peninsula earthquake on Jan. 1, is flooded by torrential rain on Sept. 22 blamed on global warming. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

The deadline for countries to establish new greenhouse gas reduction targets is approaching. Last month, the Environment Ministry and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry proposed a new plan to reduce carbon emissions. However, this initiative falls short of making a significant impact on global targets. Japan must raise its reduction targets to contribute meaningfully to global climate goals.

The 2015 Paris Agreement, a landmark international accord on climate change, requires countries to submit their climate action plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), every five years. These NDCs outline each country’s self-defined targets. The deadline for submitting updated NDCs is February.

The proposal from the two ministries largely extends current targets, aiming to reduce emissions by 60 percent by fiscal 2035 compared to fiscal 2013. They assert that this trajectory is consistent with the goal of achieving “net-zero emissions,” an overall balance between the greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere and the greenhouse gases removed from the atmosphere, by 2050.

However, this reduction is clearly insufficient.

At the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), the global target was set to limit the average temperature increase since the Industrial Revolution to 1.5 degrees. At last year’s COP28, it was agreed that a reduction of 43 percent by 2030 and 60 percent by 2035, compared to 2019 levels, is necessary.

These reduction targets equate to a 66 percent decrease by 2035 from the fiscal 2013 levels, which serve as Japan’s baseline for calculations. The current proposal from the ministries, however, falls short of this target with its aim of a 60 percent cut by 2035 compared to 2013.

As a developed nation that has been a significant emitter of greenhouse gasses during its period of phenomenal economic growth, Japan has a responsibility to take ambitious action. This proposal does not qualify as such.

In setting the current targets in 2021, Japan declared that it “aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 46 percent by fiscal 2030, and will continue strenuous efforts ... to meet the lofty goal of cutting its emission by 50 percent.” Setting high targets in developed countries such as Japan also encourages developing countries to take action.

Prioritizing short-term economic gains and setting unambitious emission reduction targets effectively ignores the already evident impact of climate change. An increase in disasters and heat stroke due to global warming will not only result in more casualties but also harm the domestic economy.

The proposal from the ministries aligns with the figures suggested by Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), the nation’s most powerful business lobby, in October. Although Keidanren asserts that these figures are within the necessary reduction range to achieve the 1.5-degree target, their explanation indicates that the figures are near the lower limit of the “range” for fiscal 2035, clearly suggesting a minimum-effort approach.

In addition to environmental groups critical of the Japanese government’s low-ambition targets, a group of about 250 companies, large and small, that are actively involved in climate change countermeasures is calling for stronger action, demanding a reduction of at least 75 percent compared to fiscal 2013. The group maintains that Japan’s lukewarm commitment also “negatively affects Japanese companies’ industrial competitiveness.”

If Japan sets low emissions targets and neglects the need to expand renewable energy, it risks falling behind internationally in technological advancements.

The government’s upcoming Basic Energy Plan, which provides a comprehensive framework and guides the nation’s energy strategy, will also come under scrutiny for its alignment with global standards. It should outline a clear path for phasing out coal-fired power generation, which spews huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and significantly expanding renewable energy sources.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Dec. 14

Related News