No Longer Front Runner

Former frontrunner vanished into a cloud. In the twentieth conference of parties for United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Lima, Peru, earlier this month, Japan could not take a role for accelerating negotiation for greenhouse gasses reduction. After the severe accident of nuclear power plant in Fukushima, Japanese government and nuclear-interested people in Japan have been increasing greenhouse gas emission, dependant on thermal power generation. Obviously, they have been highly reluctant to replace nuclear power generation to renewable energy. It is predictable consequence that Japan was lagging behind of other nations in climate conference.

The statement after Lima conference mandated parties to submit their reduction plan for greenhouse gas emission as early as next March. They can write down in the plan concrete timeline of emission reduction, year for basis in calculation or kinds of gasses to reduce. The administrative office will make a draft of new framework before next May and release a report by November 1^st after analyzing all plans submitted. Time schedule is extremely tight. Those were the elements of the process to reduce greenhouse gasses within two Celsius degree higher than the level in the time of Industrial Revolution

The result was not necessarily satisfactory for all the participants. While European Union required a reviewing system to verify the plans each other, China rejected it with concern on its own growing emission. Developing counties have been reinforcing their influence in the conference with accusation on developed countries as mainly responsible for increase of greenhouse gasses in the world. A number of countries expressed its willingness to donate for Green Climate Fund, which would support mitigate disaster in high tide or flood and breed improvement of agricultural products for adaptation to climate change.

As the host country of Kyoto Protocol, Japan would have been exercising positive role in this complicated discussion. But, it has not have any clear perspective for submitting its own emission goal, having been lazy for making its own energy plan for the future. Although poll has shown people’s willingness to abolish, or reduce, nuclear power plants, the government, manipulated by power industry, has been rejecting nuclear option. It is said that next June, when Group Seven summit will be held, should be the deadline for Japan to submit actual plan for greenhouse gasses reduction.

Not only in terms of security in Northeast Asia, but also of security of environment on this planet, Japan is in a crisis of being shattered by struggle between China and United States, which are emerging on the center of the stage in climate issue these months.