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Tetsurou Fukuyama, Japan’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and upper house member of Japan’s Democratic Party, discussed the environmental policies of the Hatoyama administration Nov 5, 2009, at Smart Energy Symposium 2009.
The following is the summary of his speech.
The Hatoyama administration is aiming at reducing CO2 emissions by 25% compared with the level in 1990. It is hard to achieve. But we should not look away from climate change issues just because they are difficult to address.
We have to even consider changing our lifestyle to achieve that goal. We will present ideas, but we also want to receive ideas from many people.
(As for the “smart grid,” the next-generation power distribution grid that is now drawing attention in the US), we would like to start to financially support it in Japan as soon as possible.
(In regard to the 25% goal, which is being questioned by Japan’s industrial community, especially the steel industry,) the government did not say that it will not care about the industrial community.
Generally speaking, climate change issues are related to diplomatic and economic problems. We will not implement policies that will harm the international competitiveness of the firms that emit large amounts of CO2. Rather, we will exercise wisdom to find out what we can do for those firms.
Currently, the Hatoyama administration is examining how much incentives are necessary to establish a firm market. And three teams were founded to examine climate change issues. Specifically, they will (1) aim to meet the medium-term goal, (2) review the “Hatoyama Initiative” and (3) consider trade in emissions permits, respectively. Each team is supposed to have intensive discussions from now on.
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