Japan's GHG Emissions Drop Significantly in 2008 to Just 1.9% Over 1990 Level

The Japanese Ministry of the Environment released its initial estimate of the nation's fiscal 2008 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on November 11, 2009. The figure totaled 1.286 billion tons, 6.2 percent below the nation's highest level of 1.371 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent (same units used below) in 2007, close to the 1994 level of 1.277 billion tons. The 2008 figure represents a slight increase of 1.9 percent from the 1.261 billion tons emitted in 1990, the base year for emissions calculations under the Kyoto Protocol.

Such a significant decrease of GHG emissions was mainly attributed to a plunge in energy demands in industrial and other sectors due to the major economic recession in the latter half of 2008 because of the latest global financial crises, while the rather high average winter temperatures nationwide were also believed to have contributed. CO2 emissions in comparison with the previous year were down by 10.4 percent in the industrial sector, down 5.5 percent in the energy conversion sector, down 4.6 percent in the household sector, down 4.1 percent in the transportation sector, and down 4.0 percent in the business and services sector, amounting to a net 6.5 percent decrease.

The utilization ratio of nuclear power plants remained rather low at 60.0 percent, down 0.7 percentage points from the previous year. The Ministry estimated that if 2008 had been a year without extended shutdowns of nuclear power plants, Japan's total emissions based on a normal nuclear plant utilization ratio (84.2 percent in 1998) would have been 3.1 percent below the 1990 base year.

Japan's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Increased by 2.3% in 2007: Ministry (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/028643.html
Japan Records Record High Greenhouse Gas Emissions: 9% Increase from 1990 Levels (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/029273.html

Posted: 2010/02/05 06:00:15 AM