Japan’s Revised 2020 Target Causes Despair

Japan has confirmed the rumours – the government has decided to renege on its Copenhagen and Cancun commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Instead of doing so by 25 per cent on 1990 levels, Japan will instead increase these emissions by three per cent.

The head of Japan’s delegation in Warsaw, Hiroshi Minami, addressed the media on Friday to confirm his government’s new position. Minami justified his government’s decision to revise their emission target by citing that Japan’s electricity mix has been significantly altered over the past few years.

Since the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, Japan has turned off all nuclear reactors. Nuclear power was between 26-29 per cent of Japan’s energy mix, and this deficit has been compensated through coal and gas. Their 2009 pledge was based on the assumption that 40 per cent of their energy in 2010 would be nuclear.

Minami said that Japan’s “energy target is not easy” and that the government is committed to improving energy efficiency by 20 per cent.

Japan has tried to placate these concerns by offering increased climate finance, US$16 billion, to offset their increased emissions. A rather large proverbial carrot, but parties and observers are not impressed:

“I don’t have any words to describe my dismay at that announcement.” – Su Wei, China’s lead climate negotiator.

“Given that Japan is the world’s fifth largest emitter, AOSIS is extremely concerned [about the] huge step backwards in the global effort to hold warming below the essential 1.5-2 degree Celsius threshold.” – The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)

“It is deeply disappointing that the Japanese Government has taken this decision to significantly revise down its 2020 emission target.”- Edward Davey, Secretary of State for the United Kingdom

NGOs are upset too:

“Japan’s new targets are outrageous. This will have a serious and negative impact on the negotiations.”- Wael Hmaidan, Director of Climate Action Network International

“[This could] further accelerate the race to the bottom among other developed countries.”- Naoyuki Yamagishi, WWF Japan

Japan is still committed to reducing its total greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent on 1990 levels by 2050. But with little details on how Japan is going to achieve this goal, many must be scratching their heads wondering how this will happen.

By Kahil Lloyd, photo via Oxfam International..