Hi:) We have been talking about Japan’s local efforts for the past 8 posts, so let’s take a virtual ride through global initiatives that Japan has spearheaded or partaken in this week!
Let’s start with the Kyoto Protocol. Here’s a short video on what it entails!
Basically, it is an international treaty that targets the reduction of GHGs (greenhouse gases), specifically the overall decrease in anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. First adopted in Japan, the Kyoto Protocol ties in with the objectives of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which aims to moderate the levels of atmospheric GHGs and lower human interference with climate change.
Two important elements of the Kyoto Protocol are the stringent monitoring of GHGs emissions and compliance of countries to this treaty. According to this article, the Kyoto Protocol faced several limitations, the most prominent being countries’ failure to adhere completely to the agreement due to national interests. Although there has been controversy pertaining to the efficacy of the Kyoto Protocol, it is undeniable that it was one of the trailblazers for global agreements such as the Copenhagen Accord and the recent Paris Agreement.
Next, we shall look at other multilateral treaties that Japan has pledged to commit itself to. The first example was CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). It embodies the minimization of over-exploitation of wildlife in a bid to conserve biodiversity and the environment. In fact, Japan is seen to be following closely to the implementation of CITES. CITES is an important step towards mitigating biodiversity loss since it places supervision and control on the wildlife trade. This brings me to the second example.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) encompasses biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of its components, and equal sharing of genetic resources amongst nations. Japan’s partake in CBD eventually saw the development of the Nagoya Protocol, which serves as a supplementary component to the CBD. The Nagoya Protocol was essential as it helped create conditions for equal sharing of genetic resources amongst countries, which played an important role in ensuring the sustainability of harnessing biodiversity for benefits.
And the list doesn’t stop there. (You can also lookup MARPOL if you are interested) As you can probably infer, Japan contributes a lot to the environment by acceding to these international agreements. While the reason why they are so determined in promoting environmentalism vary across different sources, you can always head over to my second post to find out;)
Singapore has also undertaken actions on a global scale in the environmental aspect as well. For instance, Singapore had made ratifications to the UNFCC and agreed upon the Kyoto Protocol, as well as regional treaties like the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution. Just like Japan, Singapore is a first-world country. Hence it is essential that we strike the balance between maintaining our foothold as an economically outstanding nation and upholding the values of environmentalism. What do you think about Singapore’s participation in global environmental efforts? Do you think they are enough?
-Wen Han
(Cover photo “High-level ministerial roundtable under the Kyoto Protocol” by UNclimatechange is licensed under CC BY 2.0)
Hey Wen Han,
Thanks for the interesting read! It was quite eye-opening to learn about the different types of policies (especially because I think we will be learning about it in class this week too! XD)
I understand that despite the Kyoto Protocol being an important step towards fighting climate change, it was not the most effective due to the reasons that you mentioned. However, since then, the Paris Agreement came into effect and I was wondering what difference it made to Japanese policies on climate change compared to before?
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Mark 🙂
Hi Mark
Thanks for dropping by! Well according to this article, the Paris Agreement (PA) was more effective than the Kyoto Protocol (KP) since the former aimed to lower GHG emissions in all countries rather than just the developed ones as in the latter. Furthermore, PA proved to be more ‘on the ball’ than KP since it requires a routine check every 5 years compared to KP, which did not have any sort of systematic checks that may reduce countries’ compliance to the agreement. In Japan’s context, PA certainly had more impact than KP as it aimed to decarbonize by 26% by 2030 and 80% by 2050. Honestly, I feel that that is quite a big jump that Japan is endeavouring to accomplish in a matter of 20 years from 2030 to 2050. According to another article, Japan is embarking on exploring innovative solutions such as CCS (carbon capture and storage) and next-generation natural renewable sources of energy such as geothermal energy. These all points to me that Japan is steadily making its move towards its objectives of reducing GHG emissions as per declared in PA. Hope that answers you!
Hi Wen Han,
How interesting that you posted this the day before our class on environmental law !
OK, so here’s the other side of the coin, if you’ll allow it…
Japan’s whaling practices are a legal violation of its treaty obligations. Specifically CITES. There, I said it. But I’m not the only one. CITES itself has sanctioned Japan, as have other sources. And Japan continues to try and wrangle exceptions to its treaty obligations.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/08/japan-sanctions-over-whale-meat/
Next, the Paris Accord, IMO (but not just mine) might not be much better than the paper it’s written on. I mean, if we strive for 2º warming, we’re dooming future generations and ourselves.
Next, the CBD. As you saw in class, we’re going to fall short on all the Aichi targets.
During a post-class discussion one day, the issue was raised by one student (can’t remember who) that really, there’s no international body to force governments (not just Japan’s) to stick to their commitments. And citizens aren’t forcing their own governments to do so.
I’m not suggesting you or I know the answers to these problems, but as I sit here and watch these nail-biter US election results crawl in, I’m struck by how the will (political & civil society) that underpins sound legislation and teeth to enforce it is lacking on a global level.
Like seriously, we all need to get our act together.
jc
ps, before I started uni, I wrote my LSAT exam. I did really well and applied to law school. Thank goodness I bombed the interview. I don’t think I’d have been very happy. But I remain super interested in the law.
Dear Dr. Coleman
Thanks so much for the debatable and somewhat controversial views on environmental targets that Japan has set for itself. I do agree that traditional customs and consumption habits play a huge role in countries’ environmental stances. However, I do believe practices can be altered with time too, with constant reminders to the public that their actions and habits contribute to the policies that are implemented in the country. With that said, the government must also stand on the right (correct) side of environmental ethics and advocate for the environment, even without anyone telling them to do so. Thanks for your opinion!