Global Environment Note #13
“Note on Global Environment from Hokkaido” is a special series that will send you a report of Environment of the world, Japan and Hokkaido NOW, and give you hints to begin Eco-friendly life Now, to reduce the GHG (Green House Gas) by 6%, in order to avoid the global warming.
What to do with 6%?
Beginning and Present of our fight against global warming
The whole world is now concerned as to how to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Japan has made a promise to the world under the Kyoto Protocol, to cut down our emissions by 6%. We can kick-start an action to this end from here in Hokkaido, the land of greens, where the “Environment Summit” at Lake Toya took place this summer.
Chapter 1: The Beginning
Our promise to the world – minus 6%
What on Earth is the Kyoto Protocol?
-6%: Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement that defines the emission-reduction target for each developed countries. It was adopted at the
Third Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP3) held in Kyoto, hence this name. In the Protocol, Japan pledged to lower the emission of GHGs to 6% below the base year of 1990, during the commitment period 2008 – 2012. Now we are in year 2008; we have no more time to waste.
Change to energy-efficient household appliance Is GHGs any less?
-12,2%: The amount of GHGs that Japan produced in 2006 amounted to some 1,340Mt. From the baseline figure of 1,261Mt in 1990, this means 6.2% of increase rather than decrease. Now, the amount we have to reduce has grown to 12.2%.
The real target: minus 6.8%
-5,4%: Activating forests and Kyoto Mechanisms
Apart from the simple reductions within the nation, Kyoto Protocol allows each nation to take into account the absorption of CO2 by forests, and the reduction of GHGs from projects performed overseas, in measuring the achievement. Japan intends to “reduce” GHGs by 3.8% with the forest sink, and by 1.6% with Kyoto Mechanism, total -5,4%.
Reduce in each and every sector
-6,8%: Aforementioned 12.2% of debt and 5.4% of allowance leave us with a figure “6.8%”; this is the amount that we actually need to cut off. To drive solid emission-reduction, a target value is to be set in each sector – for example industrial, transport, office, or residential sector (so-called sectoral approach).
Chapter ２: The Present
The key is in the house
Why are we making more CO2 at home?
+30%: Regarding the sectoral comparison between 1990 and 2006, the CO2 emission from industrial sector has already come 4.6% below 1990, whereas that from residential sector (i.e. our living) has shot up by 30%. It can partly be attributed to greater energy consumption from greater size and variety of home appliances – mobile phones, PCs, high-tech toilets, and big-screen TVs, to mention few.
Save energy, together
-19,15~-21,5%: To reach the target value for CO
2 emission in residential sector, we need to lower our emissions by 19.1 - 21.5% (of 1990). What is essential is our collective effort to save energy. Start from the ways that you feel comfortable, for instance turning the light off when you leave, using cars less and your own feet more.
Our frontier spirit
Hokkaido saves the world
“A unified energy efficiency label” is a method to inform consumers about the products’ energy efficiency. The label is used in products such as refrigerator, TV, air conditioner, and so on. A set of one to five stars is used to rank the energy efficiency of the products, with the increased number of stars representing higher energy efficiency. The label also informs about the annual electricity charges, and other various information. So please check the labeling when purchasing the household appliances.
You are the one to start
-1,1kg: Being the initial year of the commitment period in Kyoto Protocol, the year 2008 also held the “environment Summit” at Lake Toya. Inspired by the summit, Hokkaido government prepared the Hokkaido Declaration of Environmental Conservation, which sets the target for residential emissions as minus 10% (1.1kg) per capita. Let us spread our actions against global warming from Hokkaido to the world.