Half of Japanese Emissions Attributable to Just 230 Businesses

Kiko Network, a Japanese environmental non-profit organization, released results on April 11, 2008 of an analysis of the amounts of Japanese greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) released by businesses and industries, based on fiscal 2006 data reported under the Law Concerning the Promotion of Measures to Cope with Global Warming. Due to the changes in the data reported by the goverment, it relleased the modified data on June 2, 2008. This law requires designated carbon polluters to calculate, report and publish their GHG emissions. Results revealed that out of 14,225 businesses, only 230 accounted for half of Japan's emissions. These figures are calculated from direct emission data, in which CO2 emissions are assigned to original energy producing entities. The other 14,000 businesses together with the transport sector accounted for as little as 18 percent, indicating clearly that a limited number of large-scale establishments can be blamed for the major part of Japan's domestic emissions of 1,341 million tons CO2 equivalent (CO2e).

Viewed by sector, 224 businesses in the electric utility sector and 145 from the heat supply sector directly emitted 391.91 million tons CO2e, or 29 percent of Japan's total emissions. Given that the estimate for total direct emissions from all designated businesses and the transportation sector was about 900 million tons CO2e, the figure for the electric utility sector is extremely large. Emissions from the steel and the chemical sectors also turned out to be enormous; 196.53 and 91.1 million tons CO2e, or 15 and 6 percent of Japan's total emissions, respectively.

Thirty six businesses that did not publish their emission figures accounted for just 0.3% of businesses. It was found, however, that 33 of them emitted extremely large amounts of GHGs, as much as 184.69 million tons CO2e, equivalent to 14 percent of Japan's emissions; this figure included 167.67 million tons of CO2 originating from original energy production, or 13 percent of Japanese emissions from energy production. As for the three remaining businesses, their total emissions remain unpublished even now. Kiko Network is calling for the Law to be amended by adding an explicit statement of the openness principle in its provision on the protection of rights and interests.

http://www.kikonet.org/english/index-e.html

Posted: 2008/07/25 06:00:25 PM