Paris accord adopted at COP21
post date : 2015.12.22
The Asahi: Japan passive as world reaches landmark climate change agreement
The Sankei: Make accord viable with Japan’s knowledge, technologies
The Nikkei: Paris accord facilitates transformation to low-carbon society
The Mainichi: Historical climate agreement gets all hands on deck
The Yomiuri: Close global cooperation needed to achieve Paris accord emissions targets
The 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) has adopted the “Paris Accord,” which provides a new framework for international cooperation in fighting global warming beyond 2020.
The accord—agreed in the French capital—establishes a set of global rules on anti-global warming measures and will replace the Kyoto Protocol adopted in 1997. It is the first agreement to include all 196 signatories of the convention.
All five dailies discussed the pact in their respective editorials dated December 15, uniformly welcoming the all-member accord, saying it was a “historic” achievement or “a major step forward.” Nonetheless, they all acknowledged there are still many challenges that need to be tackled.
The Nihon Keizai Shimbun said the accord was “a major step forward with regard to the effectiveness and fairness of measures, compared with the Kyoto Protocol that requires only developed nations to cut emissions.” Looking to the future, the economic daily suggested the world should concentrate its efforts in a specific direction, saying, “It is essential to steadily work toward the realization of a low-carbon society by reducing carbon dioxide emissions through the efficient use of energy and the utilization of natural energy.”
The Yomiuri Shimbun said the deal “by all participating countries to work toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a significant step forward in dealing with global warming,” but added that its effectiveness “will be put to the test with regard to how each country can achieve its target and whether it can raise its target further.”
The Asahi Shimbun expressed reservations by saying the agreement was “a product of compromises among countries with complicated and conflicting interests” and, therefore, “undoubtedly has various flaws and shortcomings.
“Even so, it is significant that nearly 200 countries have agreed not only to hold the increase in the average global temperature to ‘well below’ 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels but also to ‘pursue efforts to limit the temperate increase to 1.5 degrees,’” the newspaper said, giving a qualified approval to the accord.
Commenting that the “terrorist attacks that took place in Paris in November encouraged the world to come together on this treaty,” The Mainichi Shimbun analysis said “those who are poor are hit hardest by abnormal weather and natural disasters, which are both brought on by global warming.
“That, in turn, produces refugees and instigates conflict, which then breeds terror. The treaty has shown that the world shares this understanding.”
The Sankei Shimbun said “the accord was a leap forward, as it created a system—in which all nations will tackle the challenge of reducing global warming gases—by overcoming differences between developed and developing countries.”
The newspaper, however, called on the government to act prudently, pointing to the fact that “the withdrawal of the United States made the Kyoto Protocol toothless,” adding that “in international negotiations, it is important to learn from history.”
■ Japan’s anti-global warming efforts
The Yomiuri and The Sankei discussed a Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM)—a Japan-devised scheme which would allow countries to count portions of emissions curbed in developing nations toward their own reductions if they help developing nations save energy.
The Yomiuri Shimbun said the JCM, adopted as part of the accord, was “the outcome of diplomatic efforts by Japanese officials.” It also said: “Assistance in the energy-saving efforts of developing countries has greater cost-effectiveness than measures taken domestically. The application of the system must be expanded positively.”
The Sankei said the use of the JCM is an effective way to cut carbon dioxide emissions, expressing hope that “if the system is widely used, it will pave the way for drastically reducing emissions—globally and beyond national boundaries.”
The Yomiuri and The Sankei commented on China and India—the largest and third-largest emitters of greenhouse gases, respectively—among the nations that could be helped by the JCM. The Yomiuri said “the two countries must make greater efforts to curb emissions without limiting their efforts to nationally determined contributions,” while The Sankei opined that “it is an urgent task for such large emitters as China and India to improve their energy statistics and to swiftly release such data.”
The Nikkei praised Japanese companies for their anti-global warming efforts, saying “their persistent efforts to solve problems with their technologies are what they excel at most, and their attitudes are highly appreciated overseas.” The paper, however, also pointed to Japanese companies’ shortcomings, saying they are “keen on cleaning up their own yards, but lack the mindset to change the structure of whole world.” There are many lessons to be learned from U.S. and European companies that are promoting anti-global warming efforts in collaboration with their governments and non-governmental organizations, the paper added.
The Mainichi was critical of the government, saying: “The Abe administration is pushing the reactivation of Japan’s nuclear power plants. But after having experienced the ongoing crisis at the Fukushima No.1 Nuclear Power Plant, it is Japan’s duty to strike a balance between nuclear phaseout and environmental protection.” It also said Japan “should focus its efforts on expanding the renewable energy industry and encouraging further energy-saving measures.”
The Asahi was critical in its assessment of Japanese negotiators, saying “the Japanese government hardly made its presence felt at the Paris conference.” The paper also said that Japan, the world’s third-largest economy and the fifth-largest greenhouse gas emitter, “needs to make more aggressive efforts to change its social and industrial structures in pursuit of a cleaner future free from CO2 emissions.
“Japan lags many other nations in the area of joint energy-saving efforts through cooperation among individual units. Cooperative efforts by individuals, families and businesses would save energy in a more efficient and less painful manner,” the paper said.
Photo：State Department via Best Image/AFLO
*English translations of The Yomiuri, The Asahi and The Mainichi are from The Japan News, The Asia & Japan Watch and The Mainichi, respectively. Those for The Nikkei and The Sankei are provisional. The content of this page was made by the Foreign Press Center and does not reflect the opinion of the Japanese Government or any other organization.