Press Releases

Japan’s Prime Minister Announces Japan’s Mid Term Target for Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) Emissions.

On 10 June, the Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Taro Aso announced mid-term target for greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions in his speech in Tokyo. He said that Japan would reduce GHGs emissions by 15 percent from year 2005 level by the year 2020. This is aiming to achieve a 33 percent improvement in energy efficiencies.

Prime Minister of Japan said that Japan’s target, announced this time, was calculated on the basis of energy-saving and energy-conservation as well as of other efforts to be taken only inside Japan, without adding reductions through credit purchases from abroad. He further said that he would decide on such additional reductions under forthcoming post-2012 framework after discerning the course of future international negotiations.

While the US has announced to reduce GHGs by 14 percent from 2005 level and EU announced to reduce GHGs by 13 percent from 2005 level, these targets will be achieved through a combination of reductions in the countries and regions themselves, and purchases of emission credits from abroad. Japan’s target announced this time, which does not add credit purchase from abroad, is of “clear water” effects (literally mamizu, meaning net effects), so to speak.

In setting up this mid-term target, Mr. Aso presented three basic principles. Those are: a) Participation of all major emitters and Japanese leadership, b) Making the environment and the economy compatible, and c) Ensuring to achieve the long-term goal. He also appealed to the Japanese people to bear the concomitant burden, in order to achieve this target.

The full text of Prime Minister Aso’s speech is available at the following website: http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/asospeech/2009/06/10kaiken_e.html

Return