26 Jan
2008 - Tokyo, Japan – Japan’s announcement
that it will reduce its carbon emissions
in absolute terms is to be welcomed but
making this action dependent on that of
“other major emitters” including developing
countries is met with reservations by WWF.
The global conservation
organization called on Prime Minister Fukuda,
this year's President of the G8 group of
industrialized countries, to take clear
responsibility and, with the other rich
countries, show the urgently needed leadership
to tackle global warming by pledging a 2020
absolute reduction target.
Prime Minister Yasuo
Fukuda was speaking today at the World Economic
Forum in Davos, Switzerland; he recognized
the urgency of the challenge when he called
for a global agreement that would lead to
a peak and decline in global greenhouse
gas emissions. However, according to science,
this peak should come in 10-15 years, rather
than the 10-20 years offered by PM Fukuda
if we are to reach 50% emissions reduction
by mid century.
The Prime Minister said
that Japan would promote new criteria for
setting “fair” reduction targets for countries
for the second phase of the Kyoto Protocol
starting in 2013, based on a bottom-up approach
from each sector's energy efficiency levels.
Unfortunately he also proposed to change
the base year from 11000 which would punish
those countries that took early action.
The bottom-up approach
would further delay urgently needed action
and increase the risk of warming well above
the danger limit of 2 degrees. WWF believes
Japan, being one of the world's richest
countries, can and should lead the world
in tackling climate change by announcing
its own 2020 emissions reduction target
now.
“PM Fukuda’s speech
while accepting for the first time the need
for further cuts in carbon pollution still
reflects the position of the Japanese industry
federation, Nippon Keidanren, which continues
to oppose the Kyoto framework and simply
will not accept any serious reduction commitments”,
says Yurika Ayukawa, Special Advisor to
WWF-Japan Climate Change Programme. “The
Nippon Keidanren stands in the way of Japan
taking progressive steps forward, such as
a cap and trade scheme or carbon tax, which
would enable Japan to commit to such a much
needed deep cuts in emissions.”
According to WWF, G8
leaders should stand by the decision their
countries signed up for at the recent UN
climate change talks held in Bali. That
meeting accepted the science that global
emissions should peak and decline in the
next 10 to 15 years and emission reductions
from industrialized countries need to be
in the range of 25 to 40% by 2020 compared
to 11000 levels.
“Japan agreed in Bali
to the need for deep cuts in carbon pollution
by developed countries. To argue large developing
countries should do the same undermines
the G8 agreement reached in Heiligendamm
that all should do their “fair share” says
Hans Verolme, Director of the WWF Global
Climate Change Programme. “Progressive voices
in the business world are calling for legislation
that will stimulate investment in innovative
technologies and clean energy. By announcing
a strong 2020 target now, the PM would send
a positive signal internationally and domestically
that this year's G8 will take seriously
its climate change responsibility.”
Contacts: Yurika Ayukawa, Special Advisor
to the Climate Change Programme, WWF Japan
