Japan's Environment Ministry Releases Survey Results on Household Carbon Emissions

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The Japanese Ministry of the Environment released on March 31, 2014, the results of a survey estimating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from Japanese households. In 2012, household CO2 emissions in Japan had shown a 60% increase compared with the 1990 level. Recognizing the need for immediate and effective measures to reduce emissions, the Ministry conducted the survey to assess the actual situation. The survey was conducted from October 2012 to September 2013, covering approximately 5,400 households living in homes exclusively for residential purposes in the Kanto, Koshin, and Hokkaido regions.

Annual CO2 emissions per household were 4.0 tons in the Kanto and Koshin regions and 7.3 tons in the northernmost Hokkaido region. Emissions from heaters accounted for 16% of total household emissions in Kanto and Koshin and 30% in Hokkaido.

Looking at emissions by energy type, in Kanto and Koshin, 54% of emissions were from electricity, 23% from gasoline, and 14% from utility gas (natural gas) . In Hokkaido, 44% were from electricity, 29% from kerosene, and 20% from gasoline, showing a relatively high percentage of emissions from kerosene.

After conducting a similar survey nationwide from fiscal 2014 to 2015, the Ministry plans to develop a statistical database on household CO2 emissions and continue collecting data.