Japan Meets Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goal

Tokyo, April 15 (Jiji Press)--Japan met the goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 6 pct between fiscal 2008 and 2012 from fiscal 1990 on average set under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on global warming, the Environment Ministry said Tuesday. The country's emissions fell 8.4 pct during the five-year period ended in March 2013 due mainly to absorption by forests and purchases of emission quotas from abroad, the ministry said. The size of decrease expanded from the 8.2 pct in the ministry's preliminary report released last November after the amount of greenhouse gases absorbed by urban greening was added. At a press conference, Environment Minister Nobuteru Ishihara said energy-saving efforts by Japanese people offset an increase in thermal power generation and other factors that lead to greater emissions. In fiscal 2012 alone, emissions increased 6.5 pct from fiscal 1990 to 1,343 million tons before reflecting absorption by forests. The rise came due partly to an increase in thermal power generation as nuclear power plants in the country were shut down in the wake of the March 2011 accident at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s <9501> Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant. END