Japan's GHG Emissions Down 1.3% In 2006, But Will Still Have Trouble Hitting Kyoto Targets

[hatrack]

TOKYO, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Japan's greenhouse gas emissions fell 1.3 percent in the year ended in March partly due to a warm winter, a newspaper reported on Wednesday, but a rebound this year threatens to make Tokyo's Kyoto goal still harder to reach. A Ministry of Environment official declined to comment, saying the government was still compiling the figures. The ministry's report is due to be released shortly.

Japan is the world's fifth biggest emitter of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, behind the United States, China, India and Russia, and is the only one of these which is under pressure to meet a greenhouse gas emissions limit.

The Yomiuri paper reported Japan's emissions at 1.3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent in the financial year 2006/07, exceeding the country's commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, to be met by 2008-2012, by some 150 million tonnes a year.

Tokyo is expected to make up the difference and meet its goal set under the international treaty agreed in its own city of Kyoto, chiefly by buying carbon offsets from developing countries.

EDIT

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSSP15176

[razzleberry]

1. the carbon offset scam goes on and on .n/t.