Japan Refuse To Increase Emissions Cuts
By Paul Homewood
If you thought Russia’s contribution to saving the planet was disappointing, Japan’s is no better!
Japan has been criticised for failing to increase its ambition to tackle climate change, as it becomes the first major economy to submit updated plans on cutting emissions.
All countries are expected to submit new or updated plans this year for cutting emissions, known as “nationally determined contributions”, under the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Existing efforts set out by countries to curb greenhouse gases are not enough to limit global temperature rises to well below 2C or the tighter restriction of 1.5C, which nations signed up to under the Paris deal.
Japan has become the first country in the G7 group of leading economies to produce updated plans, ahead of a key United Nations climate meeting “Cop26”, which is supposed to take place in Glasgow in November.
The UK is hoping to drive moves towards ambitious international action in the build-up to the talks, though British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has warned the meeting may have to be delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
But Japan has stuck with its existing target of cutting emissions by 26% on 2013 levels by 2030, which analysts tracking contributions at independent organisation Climate Action Tracker has deemed “highly insufficient”.
Japan says it will pursue further efforts in the medium and long term, and is aiming for a “decarbonised society” as early as possible in the second half of the century.
A UK Government spokeswoman said: “We are clear on the need for increased ambition from all countries, particularly from G7 partners.
“We hope to see a further submission that includes an increase in Japan’s headline target ahead of Cop26.”
Laurance Tubiana, chief executive of the European Climate Foundation and one of the key architects of the Paris Agreement, said it was “disappointing” the Japanese government has not increased its ambition in response to the climate crisis.
“The EU, UK, China and South Korea are moving towards a new – low carbon – economy. If Japan doesn’t move, it will lose out in the high-tech race of this century.
“At one of the most challenging times of recent memory, we need bolder, mutually reinforcing plans that protect our societies from the global risks we all face.
“But there is still time: Japan should reconsider its position and come to Cop26 with a more ambitious plan. This will also allow a resilient recovery from the negative economic impact of Covid-19,” she urged.
Christian Aid’s global climate lead, Dr Kat Kramer, said: “Japan’s feeble and unchanged national climate commitment is an international disgrace.
“The fact they are smuggling it out during a global pandemic when it will avoid the scrutiny it deserves is shameful.”
Japan is a rich country with resources and the historic responsibility to make big strides to decarbonise its economy, she said.
“Yet it has utterly failed to enhance its highly insufficient pledge, that will only compound the misery of people on the front line of the climate crisis who need countries like Japan to act with urgency to do its fair share in addressing the climate crisis.”
She also criticised the country’s failure to plan to reach net zero emissions by 2050, and relying on unproven technologies to get there.
In case you think that a cut of 26% between 2013 and 2030 is a lot, bear in mind emissions in 2013 were already 20% higher than in 1990.
The promised cut by 2030 is in fact only a reduction of 10% from 1990 levels;
http://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/energy-economics/statistical-review-of-world-energy.html
Japan’s emissions are approximately triple the UK’s.
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NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT 
If CO2 is higher it will help the forests damaged by fire to recover and enrich the oceans in places like the Atlantic around UK which has seen a lot of damage by trawlers chewing up the feeding grounds of deep sea fish. Japan has areas of devastation that need regeneration.
Japan & Russia, 2 big hitters in the political and economic world and in post ‘Kung Flu’ territory, neither are prepared to trash their economies further on ‘what might be’. Add China, Brazil and Trumpist America in the mix and climate alarmism is looking as secure as a dodo. I dare say that a few employees of the Grantham Institute might start to sweat soon. Heard from our old friend Bob lately Paul or has he had to apply for Universal Credit?
The sensible approach is to refuse to endorse the notion that global surface temperature is somehow related to the carbon dioxide content of the air. It’s not and never has been.
My thoughts precisely. Blow this ‘theory’ out of the water and the case of the alarmists is false.
I’ve just been working out the cost of the latest idea on carbon sequestration. For an old style brown coal fired plant, a 30% reduction using this method would multiply the cost of output by at least 10 times. Getting all the CO2 underground would obviously mean at least a jump of 33 times.
Building a new plant with 30% minimum drop in emissions would be cheaper than the ANNUAL cost of “getting rid” of 30% by sequestration.
I invite suggestion as to which choice they think their politicians would choose.
The dearest and most complex one!
Perhaps Japan (like China?) understands that rapid cutting, lowering of fossil fuel CO2 emissions, necessarily creates catastrophic social and economic chaos… and nobody wants that? The COVID-19 virus is now showing us what (in all forms of transportation) reducing emissions does to damaging all of us around the globe…leading to total chaos? Furthermore cutting emissions (even to zero) will not lower the CO2 already emitted. That’s why so much money is being invested in industrial carbon capture and geological storage to ‘decarbonize’ the world…bury billions of tons of CO2…somewhere.. Safely. Crazy?
“If you thought Russia’s contribution to saving the planet was disappointing, Japan’s is no better!”
About saving the planet….
https://tambonthongchai.com/2020/03/30/the-humans-must-save-the-planet/
Russia is smart and doing the right thing. Looks like Japan is being smart too. I love CO2 -the gas of life. Give me more – release more CO2!
Strongly agree, sir.
Good for Japan. Some common sense. Also note they’ve been sensible (unlike our childish panic!) in takling the Wuhan flu. They had it before the UK, reacted sensibly and didnt shut down their economy or restaurants or parks and have only 52 deaths as of 29 March. Smart country. why IS THE uk SO BLOODY STUPID?
Reblogged this on Zero to Hero Perfectlyjadeddelusions.
Japan also has a famously aging population and has no interest in a ‘no borders’ approach to immigration.
The Japanese are rightly proud of their society and culture and see no advantage in relying on depressing the wages of the lowest paid in their society by inviting in economic migrants who have absolutely no intention of integrating.
Homes for the very elderly and sick are staffed up by Japanese carers aided by advanced robotics.
Compare and contrast with Italy, Spain, UK or almost anywhere in the West.
Japan says it will pursue further efforts in the medium and long term, and is aiming for a “decarbonised society” as early as possible in the second half of the century.
Maybe they haven’t heard the ‘climate emergency’ is now, not 40 years away – according to the fanatics, sorry…experts 😆
“Japan Races to Build New Coal-Burning Power Plants, Despite the Climate Risks
FEBRUARY 4, 2020”
Yes, Japan is apparently building 12 GW coal capacity and financing projects outside of Japan for 24.7 GW. Are our political and “influencers” all ostriches???
The PC-mob keep banging-on about USA coal-power reduction, which is entirely due to cheap gas, but the USA coal production is barely reduced. It is exporting the surplus coal: business as usual.
“The EU, UK, China and South Korea are moving towards a new – low carbon – economy.”
China is doing WHAT? What planet are these people on??
Good, world greening in action.
This just underlines how truly absurd Western carbon hysteria has become.
UK and EU policies are futility on stilts because NONE of the big national emitters are playing ball as they’re told they ‘need’ to by climate bedwetters. Mostly because they refuse to trash their economies on a long-term speculative whim and partly because they simply don’t buy into imminent climate Armageddon.
Our political pygmies have always been stark-raving insane over their carbon obsession. Saner voices must prevail.
“The EU, UK, China and South Korea are moving towards a new – low carbon – economy. If Japan doesn’t move, it will lose out in the high-tech race of this century.”
They usually come up with some hilarious statement. China is doing no such thing as we here all know. And yes, I bet Japan will be all broke up that it still has a functioning economy and a 21st century lifestyle.
No politician ever was serious about Climate Change. Those doing the treaties have signed them as they were sure that the long deadlines will make sure that they out of the line of fire when it all blows up – in someone else’s face. Its all a calculated stunt – sign commitments now that you won’t have to bear the consequences later. And right now – nobody cares about a non-topic.
Only slightly OT, there are some good pieces in The Spectator, one of which is “How deadly is the coronavirus? It’s still far from clear” by Dr John Lee. It’s paywalled, unfortunately, but the parallels with the climate change scam are very clear. For instance, it starts with:
“I’m a recently-retired Professor of Pathology and NHS consultant pathologist, and have spent most of my adult life in healthcare and science – fields which, all too often, are characterised by doubt rather than certainty. There is room for different interpretations of the current data. If some of these other interpretations are correct, or at least nearer to the truth, then conclusions about the actions required will change correspondingly.”
and ends with:
“Governments everywhere say they are responding to the science. The policies in the UK are not the government’s fault. They are trying to act responsibly based on the scientific advice given. But governments must remember that rushed science is almost always bad science. We have decided on policies of extraordinary magnitude without concrete evidence of excess harm already occurring, and without proper scrutiny of the science used to justify them.”
Sounds familiar?
iceagenow has a reasoned piece looking at the situation in Italy and possibly the distortion of the facts from the media. I have seen the quote about the death of lots of doctors due to the virus which of course sounds scary. If the doctors are dying who will treat us. But, this number includes lots of retired doctors and one who was 90! It also includes all types and not those who might work on virus cases. The figures are being distorted by those dying with the virus and those dying from the virus, which is a concern as in the UK I have read that they will be lumped together. For another angle on WUWT Jim Steele looks at a comparison with the outbreak of polio in the 20s and 30s after being dormant. The reason was improved living conditions keeping the young from coming into contact with a mild strain and gaining immunity.