Power and steel plants are major greenhouse gas emitters

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Power and steel plants are major greenhouse gas emitters

Data published in June by the Environment, and the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministries show that half of the amount of Japan's greenhouse gas have been discharged by power and steel plants.

The amount of Japan's greenhouse gas emissions in FY 2008 was 1.28 billion tons. The major emitters were electric power plants and the steel industry. Tokyo Electric Power with a share of seven percent of total emissions ranks first, followed by Japan Steel.

Though Japan is obliged under the Kyoto Protocol to reduce six kinds of greenhouse gases, progress is not being seen in measures to control large emitters because such measures are left up to voluntary plans of the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren).

In FY 2006, 50 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions in Japan was caused by just 200 major emitters. In FY 2008 the number stood at 153.

Environmental expert Asaoka Mie, representative of the Kiko (climate) Network, warned about the continued concentration in large emissions in the published data, saying "The increase in percentage of large emitters such as thermal power plants and steelworks is a feature of the data that stands out."

She commented further: "The present situation in which just 150 locations of 40 firms are the emitters of half of Japan's greenhouse gas emissions shows that strong controls over the sources of large emissions, such as electric generation plants and the steel industry, is essential."

-Akahata, July 12, 2010