December 17, 2020

Environment-conscious youth and students in Japan are demanding that the government allow their participation in its policymaking process on measures to achieve the goal of keeping the global temperature rise below "1.5 degrees Celsius" and to combat climate change.

Representatives of the Japanese version of "Fridays For Future", a global climate strike movement run by young people, submitted 38,705 signatures to Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide on December 16, demanding their participation in the process of climate policymaking in Japan.

They said that Japan should increase its target significantly for cutting GHG emissions, which is currently very low, so that an increase in global temperature be limited within 1.5 degrees Celsius from the pre-Industrial Revolution level as the "Paris Agreement" calls for.

They added that the government should also change its energy policy to one aiming at 100% renewables, make its policymaking process public, and respect the opinions of young people who will be most affected by climate change.

After submitting the signatures, 18-year-old Sakata Runa at an online press conference said, "I want the government to not only promise net zero emissions by 2050 but also present a clear and ambitious roadmap to achieve that." A 13-year-old member of the "Fridays For Future Japan" said, "I think the issue of climate change is a matter affecting our lives and our future."

Past related article:
> Japan should commit more funds to global fight against locust crisis [August 24, 2020]