25% in 2020 the Japanese Way
Sep 14, 2009
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Japan is undergoing a huge shift in politics. For only the second time since 1955, Japan's dominant Liberal Democratic Party lost its control of the House in the Diet, all but assuring Yuko Hatoyama will become the next Prime Minister. How long this change will last is uncertain: Japan in some ways is like the Italy of Asia--Prime Ministers change as often as well-heeled Japanese citizens change their Louis Vuitton handbags. Hotoyama is wasting no time: just last weekend he announced that his government will aggressively aim to curb greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2020. Greenpeace scoffed, as it demanded a 40 percent reduction: but this is a dramatic change from the 8 percent goal that the previous government under Taro Aso's government had advocated.
If there's one nation that can achieve these challenging emission reduction goals, it is Japan. Compared to many industrialized nations, Japanese society is a leader in sustainable living. Much of this is driven by necessity: Japan's land mass is smaller than that of California's, with over 127 million people crammed onto its four main islands. Lacking natural resources, Japan is a leader in mass transit usage and development, its bullet trains are the envy of the world, is a leader in alternative fuels ranging from solar panel technology to DME production, and is a master at battery and hybrid automobile manufacturing. Its record is not perfect: many of its cities suffer from oppressive air pollution, and well, the over-packaging of snacks isn't very sustainable . . . I never understood why each cookie in a package must be individually wrapped!
When you are a leader in technology development, there will be side affects, and Japan began to suffer the consequences back in the 1960s. Toxins from cadminium to mercury resulting from industrial waste leeched into Japan's water and soils, and despite its vast train network, smog became a bane of life in Japan. In 1971, the Japanese government created a cabinet-level environmental organization (in the US, the EPA did not become cabinet-level until Clinton), and the Diet passed stringent environmental laws. The legislation did not completely salve Japan's environmental woes, but today, Japan has a vibrant green movement, and is a model for other nations looking to establish strong environmental regulations.
Hotoyama's announcement last weekend, therefore, should not be a surprise when considering the decades of environmental awareness in Japan. 2020 is not far away, and the Japanese should be lauded for exceeding what other nations are doing in confronting climate change. Whether this 25 percent promise in 2020 lasts, however, remains to be seen. Given the short tenures of most of Japan's ruling governments, let's hope this promise outlives the protagonists.
