(Bloomberg) — Japan will cut its greenhouse gas emissions
26 percent by 2030 from 2013 levels, according to a pledge to be
sent to the United Nations.
Japan will submit the pledge to the UN Friday afternoon,
according to Hiroaki Takiguchi, an environment ministry official
in charge of climate change. The country will join nations
including China and the U.S. that have submitted pledges to cut
emissions ahead of December climate talks in Paris.
Adopting 2013 as a starting point is contentious because
it’s a year when Japan recorded its second-highest emissions
level ever as it burned more fossil fuels to replace nuclear
power lost after the Fukushima meltdown.
The reduction target was first proposed by the government
in April which drew criticism from environmentalists saying it
is not ambitious. After cabinet ministers approved the goal, the
government sought public opinions.
Climate Action Tracker, a group of researchers following
pledges by countries, has said earlier the plan was
“inadequate.”
“With the policies it already has in place, Japan can
almost reach its proposed INDC target without taking any further
action,” the group said on its website. INDC, or intended
nationally determined contributions, refers to pledges countries
submit to the UN.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Chisaki Watanabe in Tokyo at
cwatanabe5@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Reed Landberg at
landberg@bloomberg.net
Aaron Clark, Andrew Hobbs