Posted on 15 March 2010
Doha, Qatar – A
little-known Iranian salamander is poised
to become the first example of a species
requiring international government protection
because of e-commerce – a major threat to
endangered wildlife that authorities are
struggling to address.
The Kaiser’s spotted
newt, found only in Iran, is considered
Critically Endangered and is believed to
number fewer than 1,000 mature wild individuals.
The amphibian is being proposed for an Appendix
I listing during a meeting of the Convention
on International Trade in Endangered Species
of Endangered Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Appendix I is the highest
level of protection under the CITES appendices
system and bans all commercial international
trade in the species.
The Kaiser’s spotted
newt is emblematic of the availability of
the internet as an additional way to sell
products made from endangered wildlife.
It is the first species to be up for protection
mostly because of e-commerce sales.
The newt is sought as
a pet by collectors and wildlife enthusiasts
and numbers have declined by more than 80
percent in recent years.
Meanwhile, CITES governments
will consider in the coming days whether
to take a more proactive approach to regulating
the online trade in endangered species.
This would include the creation of an international
database of the trade, scientific research
to gauge the correlation between wildlife
loss and online trade, and closer collaboration
with INTERPOL, the international law enforcement
agency.
In 2006, an investigation
by TRAFFIC into the sale of Kaiser’s spotted
newts revealed 10 websites claiming to stock
the species. One Ukrainian company claimed
to have sold more than 200 wild-caught specimens
in a single year.
“The Internet itself
isn’t the threat, but it’s another way to
market the product,” said Ernie Cooper,
of TRAFFIC Canada. “The Kaiser’s spotted
newt, for example, is expensive and most
people are not willing to pay USD300 for
a salamander. But through the power of the
internet, tapping into global market, you
can find buyers”.
WWF and TRAFFIC are
concerned by other items sold and bought
online, including elephant ivory, and precious
corals, including red and pink coral, which
currently are overharvested to make jewellery
and collectables. Red and pink corals have
been proposed for listing in Appendix II
of CITES, a measure that would regulate
their international trade
“It’s a growing issue
mainly because the internet and marketing
on the internet is growing,” Cooper said.
In addition, e-commerce
will continue to be a growing issue for
CITES governments.
“This is going to be
an ever-growing enforcement issue for CITES,”
said Colman O’Criodain, WWF International
Wildlife Trade Policy Analyst.
+ More
Japanese policy mix
needs strong shot of emissions trading
Posted on 30 March 2010
Tokyo, Japan: An effective policy approach
to turn Japan into a low-carbon economy
needs emissions trading at its heart, a
WWF report has found.
The new research shows
that a strong emissions trading scheme would
have little impact on the Japanese economy,
while allowing the Hatoyama government to
effectively reach its ambitious targets
for emission reductions.
“Japan has wasted years
playing around with voluntary emissions
trading, so it’s high time to finally get
serious and design a strong scheme for this
country, in order to regain our role as
a competitive and modern economy”, said
Naoyuki Yamagishi, Climate Programme Leader
at WWF Japan.
At the centre of WWF’s
new Policy Mix Proposal is an economy-wide
cap and trade scheme, covering 60% of the
country’s CO2 emissions and setting caps
in line with Japan’s mid-term and long-term
targets for emission cuts – 25% by 2020
and 80% by 2050 against 11000 levels.
The report includes
comparative analysis of emissions trading
schemes in Europe and America, suggesting
that auctioning should be the preferred
approach to allocating emission allowances
to companies covered by the scheme, i.e.
making polluters pay rather than giving
them a free ride.
However, the report
also looks at alternative allocation approaches
for the initial phase of the scheme and
other measures to assist polluting industries
and major emitters in adjusting to operating
in a carbon-constrained world.
“Our research shows
that reaching the ambitious targets enshrined
in the government’s Climate Bill is possible,
and that a strong emissions trading scheme
is key to making Japan fit for the low-carbon
future”, said Yamagishi.
“Attempts by industry
groups to weaken the targets in the Climate
Bill or the emission trading scheme are
essentially attempts to weaken Japan’s prospects
to catch up with countries like Germany
that are currently leading the race towards
a low-carbon economy.”
The WWF report highlights
that emissions trading approaches can also
be applied to decarbonise non-industrial
sectors which would not be covered by a
cap and trade scheme. For example, it recommends
reducing emissions from commercial buildings
by strengthening a scheme developed for
the Tokyo metropolitan area which could
then be extended to include the rest of
the country.
“We welcome the launch
of Japan’s first real emissions trading
scheme in Tokyo this week”, said Yamagishi.
“Tokyo’s example shows
that the debate for or against emissions
trading is over. Our entire country should
now follow the capital’s lead to reap the
benefits of going low-carbon. The question
is no longer if we need such schemes, but
how we can design them in optimal ways.”
Apart from emissions
trading, the WWF report also outlines a
range of other options for rapid decarbonisation
in different sectors, e.g. reforming the
fuel efficiency standards under the Top
Runner scheme that’s aimed at cleaning up
the transport sector, starting a nationwide
“Energy Conservation Concierge” programme
to reduce emissions from private households
through advice on smart energy consumption,
or introducing a carbon tax on fossil fuels
Japan imports from overseas.
“Japan has been in a
depression for a long time, and we urgently
need to get this country back to dancing”,
said Yamagishi.
“Our proposal is basically
the perfect recipe for a low-carbon policy
cocktail that would do the trick. And the
best thing is: it comes almost for free.”
Notes to editors:
The Policy Mix Proposal
was written by WWF Japan and a group of
scientists from various Japanese universities
led by Professor Toru Morotomi of Kyoto
University. An English translation of the
report’s summary will be available by the
end of April. The Japanese version of the
report can be found at: http://www.wwf.or.jp/torihiki/
The Basic Bill on Measures
to Prevent Global Warming was adopted by
the Japanese cabinet on 12 March and includes
the goals to cut emissions 25% by 2020 and
80% by 2050, compared to 11000 levels. It
highlights emissions trading as a key policy
to make these emission cuts reality. The
bill is going to be discussed in the Diet
(the Japanese parliament) over the coming
months, with a vote expected by June when
the current Diet session closes.
In addition to this
debate about a legislative "framework",
there are also ongoing discussions led by
the Ministry of Environment on what is referred
to as the "roadmap", dealing with
the question how exactly the 25% emission
reduction target for 2020 is going to be
reached. In parallel to that, discussion
on a so called "Energy Basic Plan"
led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and
Industry focus on ideas for Japan’s energy
strategy towards 2030. Both processes are
aiming at reaching conclusion by June as
well. One key aspect in these processes
is the design of the Japanese emissions
trading scheme and carbon tax approach.
WWF’s Policy Mix Proposal is meant as a
concrete input to these multiple discussion
processes on framework and substance at
government and parliamentary level.
The Tokyo Metropolitan
Government is launching its emissions trading
scheme on 1 April. This will be the first
real emissions scheme trading that gets
implemented in Japan, after previous national
governments only experimented with voluntary
schemes.
