Hi All,
I came accross an article from 'The Japan Journal' magazine which I subscribed when I was there few years ago. The magazine without fail will reach me avery month in my post box. Usually I kept the magazine still in the package but just now i found it tempting since the cover picture shown a handsome young kid smiling at me. So, I take times to read through the news inside.
There's an article written by Professor Uchiyama Yohji from University of Tsukuba that stated his worries about the seriousness of the Japan Government on the implementation to build a low carbon society. His concern more of the people in view of the low carbon movement in society.I will put the report of his concern for us to share.
The Energy Supply and Demand Subcommitte of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy heard a report last August on climate warming measures of the kind required in a low carbon society. The report focused on how much carbon emissions would need to be reduced in each sector of the economy to achieve the previous government's target of cutting emmission 15% (now 30%) from 2005 levels by 2020. Compared to the consumer sector, reductions imposed on the business sector are the most stringent.
Slashing emmissions in the consumer and transport sector will require stimulating demand for low-carbon products, including highly efficient household appliances and lighting as well as hybrid and electrical vehicles. That would contribute not only to creating new environmentally friendly industries but also , if Japan's outstanding low-carbon products are exported to controlling global CO2 emmissions.
However, there will be a downside too. Activities aimed at moving toward a low-carbon society also raise possiblity of lower demand for the materials and energy industries. If that happens , the energy and materials industries will have to maintain or even streamline present plant facilities. They cannot be expected to have the leeway to make large-scale investments in plant and equipment involving technical and economic risks. The government most conservative estimate projected a 0.6% decline in real GDP, a loss of 110,000 jobs and a 30,000 yen increase in the annual utility bill per house hold.
In creating a low-carbon society, basic problems lie on the energy supply and demand sides. On the supply side, most important are measures in the materials and energy industries,which produce CO2 in large quantities. On the demand side, meanwhile the vast majority of people already own cars and household appliances, and as the share of older people in the Japanese population increases, there is little chance that the overall stock of such product will increase. But with their incomes on the decline, consumers have been tightening their ourse strings.
Japan has championed policy measures aimed at achieving a low-carbon society through development of advanced scientific technologies. However, such a society must also be one in which people can live their lives with peace of mind. If the public is saddled with excessive economic burdens and job instability, they will be so concerned with how to survive to tomorrow that efforts to achieve a low-carbon society will be out of question. The government should therefore give first priority to public livelihoodand employment and only then draw up low-carbon society measures to support those priorities.
JULIANA ABD JALIL
Hi Juliana.. thanks for sharing the article. Professor Uchiyama Yohji is more than right to mention that our economy is energy driven. Therefore it is indeed challenging for the new green economy to take over and maintain the current state of the economy.
ReplyDeleteTo transition a low carbon country may need to pay up the cost, however there are Green Opportunities could building a strong green economy in from the bottom-up through green-collar renewables energy, green jobs, carbon market, green building and transportation industry.
ReplyDeleteRenewable Energy Opportunity
In 2004, renewable energy supplied around 7% of the world's energy consumption. The renewable sector has been growing significantly since the last years of the 20th century, and in 2005 the total new investment was estimated to have been 38 billion US dollars. Germany and China lead with investments of about 7 billion US dollars each, followed by the United States, Spain, Japan, and India.
Green Job Opportunity
There has been a lot of talk about President Obama's interest in stimulating "green" jobs. I have come to the conclusion that the most pragmatic opportunity for creating green jobs is not in manufacturing, but in the services sector.
Carbon Market Opportunity
The global carbon market reached $136 billion in 2009, up from $133 billion in 2008, according to Point Carbon consulting firm. That’s a big jump from 2007, when the market totaled $58 billion. That new market showed a 10-fold increase in volume, rising from 71 million tons of carbon dioxide traded in 2008 to 765 million tons in 2009, worth a total $2.5 billion.
Green Building Opportunity
While the green building industry added $173 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2000-08, that’s just the beginning. From 2009 to 2013, that amount will more than triple to $554 billion, according to a new report from the U.S. Green Building Council and Booz Allen Hamilton.
Transportation Industry Opportunity
The City of London, Ontario, will receive a contribution of up to $120,000 for a project that will develop green transportation programs in both a suburban residential area and an industrial area in the city.
The City of Peterborough, Ontario, will receive a contribution of up to $350,150 for a project that will expand green transportation outreach and education for workplaces, secondary schools and the general community.