Eight District Summit Requests Gov't for Policies toward Low-Carbon Society

The Eight Municipal Government Leader's Summit published on May 1, 2009, a proposal to the national government on policy measures to create a low-carbon society. The proposal emphasizes the importance of drastic cuts in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to avert possible catastrophes caused by global warming, and urges the government to step up measures to reduce the national carbon footprint. The summit consisted of the governors of Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefectures and the mayors of Yokohama, Kawasaki, Chiba and Saitama Cities.

In the proposal, the summit indicates that one of the drafts for the government's mid-term targets for GHG emissions set a target of a 4 percent increase in GHG emissions by 2020 from the 1990 levels. The group then points out that, if the government shows the negative effects of GHG reduction using existing economic indicators, while promoting the industrial transformation with new economic growth strategies, criticism may arise both from home and abroad that the Japanese government is not effectively fighting global warming.

Included in the proposal are: (1) the immediate development of national mid-term GHG reduction targets that are sufficiently ambitious to take the initiative in building an international framework for GHG reduction after the Kyoto Protocol; and (2) the prompt improvement of systems to facilitate a significant growth in the use of renewable energy and energy-saving technologies, which will help create a low-carbon society and offer new business opportunities. The government can thus show people that global environmental conservation and sustainable economic growth can be attained simultaneously.

Metropolitan Municipalities to Jointly Tackle Global Warming (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/027073.html
Governors, Mayors in Tokyo Region Nudge Gov't to Fight Global Warming (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/026518.html

Posted: 2009/07/05 06:00:15 AM