An Environment Agency estimate has revealed that Japan's carbon dioxide emissions in fiscal 1993 (April 1993 to March 1994) came to about 324 million tons (measured in terms of carbon alone), representing a drop of 1.8%, or 6 million tons, from the previous year. This was the first decline in emissions since 1986. The main factors contributing to the reduction were the recession and a cold summer, which cut down demand for electricity to operate air conditioning. In the future the government intends to back measures to keep Carbon Dioxide emissions down.
By source, Carbon Dioxide emissions in FY 1993 were as follows: manufacturing plants and other industrial sources, 40.7%; automobiles and other transportation facilities, 19.4%; and electrical appliances and other aspects of ordinary life, 12.6%. By comparison with the previous year, the economic slump caused emissions in the industrial sector to fall by 1.5%, whereas emissions rose by 0.6% in the transportation sector and 0.5% in the living sector.
The largest single cause was burning oil and coal, which accounted for 56.5%; when natural gas and other energy sources are included, the figure rises to 91.3%. Other causes included limestone dissolution in cement manufacturing and the dissolution of refuse in land fills.
The government's Action Program to Arrest Global Warming sets a goal of stabilizing per capita Carbon Dioxide emissions at around the 1990 level beginning in 2000. The public and private sectors intend to work together to achieve this goal by promoting energy conservation and other measures.
(The above article, edited by Japan Echo Inc., is based on domestic Japanese news sources. It is offered for reference purposes and does not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Japanese Government.)