COP19: China and Japan commit to contrasting climate change action

According to reports from the UN climate talks in Warsaw, China will commit to tougher carbon reduction targets in its next five-year plan, whereas Japan is expected to lower its targets.

The Japanese government is said to be adjusting its targets to commit to an emission reduction of 3.8% from 2005 levels. However the country’s emissions rose by 7% during the period between 1990 and 2005 meaning that if the new target was to be achieved, it would actually represent a rise of 3.1% from 1990. Japan initially promised to reduce its emissions by 6% from 1990 levels under the Kyoto Protocol.

Officials from other countries have urged the Japanese government to reconsider with the UK energy secretary Ed Davey deeming the decision “deeply disappointing.” They argue that Japan is the world’s third largest economy and therefore needs to be at the head of taking ambitious action. The WWF in Japan have also stated that they condemn the move – arguing that the negotiations in Warsaw are usually a platform for countries to raise targets.

China, on the other hand, has claimed that it will attempt to build on its ambitious targets in its next five year plan, due in 2015. The country – which is the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide – is expected to make a big effort to meet current targets of a reduction in the intensity of emissions by 40-45% on 2005 levels by 2020. The government has stated that they will make every effort to reach the higher end of this target and that they are thinking about implementing even tougher targets after 2015.

Despite China’s emissions increasing by 3% in 2012, this represents a significant reduction from the average annual increases of around 10% in previous years. In addition a report compiled by think-tank Germanwatch, released alongside the COP talks, has found that come countries, including China, have overtaken the EU in regards to their legislative efforts to curb climate change.