Japan's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Down 2.5% in FY2001

Japan's total domestic emissions of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2), were 1.299 billion tons in fiscal 2001, down 2.5 percent from the fiscal 2000 level. However, this still leaves them 5.2 percent above the 1990 base year.

Total CO2 emissions amounted to 1.24 billion tons, or 9.53 tons per capita, in fiscal 2001. These figures show a decrease of 2.0 percent and 2.3 percent, respectively, from the previous year, but an increase of 8.2 percent and 5.0 percent from the base year.

The industrial sector, constituting some 40 percent of domestic CO2 emissions, reduced emissions below the base year level--down 5.1 percent from 1990 (and down 3.8 percent from fiscal 2000). Emissions from the household sector were 2.5 percent below fiscal 2000, but 19.4 percent higher than the base year. The transportation sector, and commercial and other sectors showed a slight increase from fiscal 2001 (0.8 percent and 1.3 percent, respectively), and a considerable increase from the base year (22.8 percent and 30.9 percent, respectively).

The Ministry of the Environment mainly attributes the reduction of total greenhouse gas emissions from the 2000 level to several factors including the following:
- Power demand shrank by 1.6 percent.
- Production activities declined in almost all industries due to the country's economic recession.
- Air conditioning and heating were used less than normal, owing to the unusually warm winter and cool summer.



Posted: 2003/12/17 09:22:40 AM
Japanese version