Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
go.jp/en/headline/file_view.php?serial=547&hou_id=2031
. Accessed 26 June 2014)
Despite these positive trends however, when the overall scale of environmental
impact is measured in terms of CO
2
emissions, Japan along with other countries, has
still made little progress. Japan agreed to reduce total emissions under the Kyoto pro-
tocol by 6 % relative to 1990. By 2009, Japan's emissions had declined slightly, but
the switch from nuclear power to fossil fuels following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear
disaster reversed this, and Japan has shown the largest increase in CO
2
emissions of
any of developed country in the last year, with a rise in emissions of 4 % in 2011 and
a further rise of 2.7 % in 2012 (Fig.
2.5
). Nevertheless with the help of absorption of
CO
2
through forest carbon sinks, and purchases of carbon credits through the Kyoto
mechanisms, Japan was at least one of the original Annex 1 countries who did meet
their original commitment (in contrast to countries such as USA which did not join
the Protocol and Canada which reneged on its original commitments). However the
Abe government announced in November 2013 that it would abandon the further
reduction target of 25 % by 2020 adopted by the previous government. Instead, it
adopted a target of an
increase
(of 3-4 %) relative to the 1990 baseline.
The effects of the 2011 disaster on household energy can be seen in Fig.
2.6
.
Emissions of CO
2
from the average household in Japan were 4758 kg in fiscal 2010.
Supply of electricity was interrupted by the earthquake and following this, nuclear
power generation was stopped due to local opposition to restarts after routine main-
tenance and due to increased regulatory standards and approval procedures. As a re-
sult, the supply of electricity has shifted from nuclear generation to fossil fuel-using
thermal power generation. Despite many additional measures for saving energy,
CO
2
emissions rose to 5060 kg/household in fiscal 2011. This is an increase of about
300 [kgCO
2
/ household], or about 6 % (Fig.
2.6
). And this is 5,270kg/household in
FY 2012. Basically, the average Japanese household is emitting higher levels of CO
2
because of the loss of CO
2
emission-free nuclear power from the electricity supply
side. However, at present we cannot pronounce the reactivation of nuclear power
plants as something “good or bad.” This is because the cause of accident of Fuku-
shima nuclear plant is not yet clear and no one can guarantee the safety of nuclear
