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© Thomson Reuters 2020.Suga tells G-20 Japan will lead international efforts on climate change
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© Thomson Reuters 2020.
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Yubaru
Wow this is a coffee spitting line here
You have to learn how to follow before you can lead, and just saying something and doing it are two different things here. Talk is cheap Suga, start following all the other accords this country agreed to, and quit being a hypocrite on some as well.
Oh and just how much are you "paying", excuse me how much are "we" the taxpayer going to pay to "lead" this effort?
Mickelicious
"Big time recycling" does not a planet save.
The hierarchy is Reduce/Reuse/Recycle in that order.
Consuming like there's no tomorrow must change.
mu-da
Suga and his cohorts doesn't lead the world anywhere. They are leaders of pretense, nothing else.
Paul
Suga can't lead this country, what makes him think he can lead the international community?
Disillusioned
Many? I think that should be 'a few'.
Do the hustle
Suga. "We will lead international society in realising a decarbonised world."
I’ve been hearing this same thing from Japanese PMs for two decades. However, not one of them has explained how they intend to do it.
Do they intend to rely on nuclear power? Japan has 50 odd reactors, most of which will have to be decommissioned in the next decade or so due to their age. Even at their peak they only supplied a third of Japan’s electricity needs. Does this mean Japan will build over 100 new reactors in the coming decades to cut carbon emissions from electricity production? Japan cannot dispose of the nuclear waste it has at present. How will they dispose of three times more?
How about cars? Do they expect all cars to be running on electricity and hydrogen in the next 20-30 years? Pipe dreams are free!
How about industry? The majority of Japan’s carbon emissions comes from industry. How are they going to clean them up? Are they just going to close them? Not a chance!
These wombats keep talking the talk, but the reality of their pipe dream is impossible without major changes to infrastructure. Japan is afraid of change, so don’t expect the carbon emissions program to have any significant impact anytime in the next century or two.
Cricky
Believe it when I see it.
sakurasuki
Do you know where those being end up, it just exported to another place without being recycled.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Environment/Plastic-waste-searches-for-a-new-home-as-Asia-shuts-its-gates
What are Japan accomplishment so far?
https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h00612/japan-relies-on-coal-for-32-of-electricity-supply.html
Japan still rely on coal and other non-renewal energy source, while trying to restart power plant that being shutdown after 2011 event.
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2019/11/374c9b5649b0-un-declined-abes-request-to-speak-at-sept-climate-summit-sources.html
Japan's leader being declined to speak at Climate summit because Japan failed to upgrade goals for greenhouse gas emission cuts and Japan involved in providing financial assistance for developing countries to construct coal power plants.
Randy Johnson
Typical empty japanese political doublespeak.
Little to nothing will happen.
drlucifer
It is very easy to say anything and get away with it in any society that the media is scared of asking the authorities difficult questions. Asking difficult questions or giving alternative ideas is deemed rude.
didou
Japan did not meet its target on the Kyoto protocol, it is far behind many countries in term of energy use, relying a lot on fossil energy. The country does start changing its policy now after being strongly criticized at the United Nations a few month ago for promoting coal power plant , though new technologies do reduce the CO2 emissions. It was using a lot this gas compensation schéma.
It should start urging its own citizens to stop idling with their cars, and change their consumption mind.
How many just sleep in their car with the engine on and windows open.
idling is an useless pollution that could be easily stopped just by more educative messages
TARA TAN KITAOKA
Time will tell.
sf2k
With Japan far ahead in terms of recycling more specific things it can go ahead with it as it goes greener in ways other countries cannot. This is another plus for Japan, if it's serious in going green.
but it cannot be supporting coal and nuclear to do so
solar, hydrothermals, geothermals are all huge wins for Japan
warispeace
The headline should have been, "Suga and the LDP once again seek to green-wash nuclear energy".
We shouldn't forget that this lot used the Kyoto protocol as a way to push for further development of the nuclear energy industry in Japan, and there was a lot media at the time about how Japan was going to lead on addressing global warming. Of course we know there was little investment in other alternative energies in Japan, such as solar and wind.
After the man-made Fukushima meltdowns, we heard next to nothing about the climate emergency in the news and Japan broke all its Kyoto promises.
On this issue, like many others, we need to follow the money. If the government leads in a rapid shift (much earlier than the 2050 target) of investment away from fossil fuels and nuclear towards alternatives, not including blue hydrogen, only then can we say Suga is being true to his words.
kurisupisu
So far, it is China making all those electric motorbikes and cars which are being driven all over Asia but not in Japan.
About once a year I see an electric scooter on the roads here and where are the hybrid trucks and buses in Japan?
Last year in the UK, it was possible to see hybrid buses in London so where are they in Japan?
Where are the pledges to electrify all transport in Japan by 20**?
Suga is contributing to the problem by blowing more hot air....
1glenn
While Suga was meeting and talking about the problems with our collective atmosphere, Glorious Leader was out golfing.
bokuda
Neither America or Japan have any moral authority to lead any climate change movement.
Talk about climate change denieing and dump tons of radioactive water to the ocean.
serendipitous1
Soon to be former & one-term POTUS Trump must have really enjoyed that meeting!
Giant Haystacks
Japan isn’t far ahead in recycling. In fact it’s one of the worst performers in the OECD. The vast majority of waste here is either exported or incinerated at ultra-high temperatures - which contributes to global warming.
Spitfire
Suga will be outta here pretty soon so it is more lip service and hot air as others have said.
robert maes
a lot in Japan is “ recyclable “ but only a very small % is actually recycled.
with only 2 working reactors most energy comes from polluting plants.
i sometimes think Japanese people eat plastic for the amount of it used, mostly unnecessary.
if Japan will in the future become less polluting that will only be because of the declining population and shrinking economy, not because of efforts
venze
Premier Suga's promise is highly important and absolutely essential, make sure he keeps it dearly and implement the necessary measures at the soonest, before expecting other leaders to take note ..
Septim Dynasty
Japanese netto uyoku are in full force today. Wow! It’s amazing how LDP now emulates China and Vietnam at having web brigades.
Yubaru
That is not "big time recycling", maybe for you, but for here, this is an average day in the life of Japan!
vanityofvanities
Talk about COVID-19.
kibousha
China also said 2050, if we want to lead, make it 2040! We're better equipped than China, and yet we're only playing cat & mouse with them!
Jonathan Prin
Japan can lead but it would be better to show the way.
Myself will lead international efforts for world peace, fight against poverty and search of equality for all. How does it sound ?
Bjorn Tomention
Well until China decides to lead in recycling and clean green and all the other words associated with climate change then its meaningless really isnt it.
China and India need to be taking the front seat .
Kumagaijin
If you look closely at the image, you'll see Trump right underneath Putin. Lol
Hideomi Kuze
Suga says that he destroys vested interests.
but His politics hinders to popularize renewable energy into Japanese society to defend Japan's giant vested interests "nuclear industries".
i@n
No idea.
Good to know
Goodlucktoyou
Do people really believe the world will be around in 2050?
zurcronium
So glad that Trump also made the same commitment at the conference . . .
What am I saying, Trump skipped this conference to play golf. According to a tally kept by CNN, Trump has visited one of his golf clubs on 303 occasions during his four years as president.
Not till January 20th 2021 will the USA do anything about climate change.
Akie
Well begun is half done. Suga should focus on the target and lead the world into a pristine past when human and environment live in harmony. Withdraw from QUAD, a United world is 1000 times better than that.
yaga537
Japan has the responsibility to combat climate change as the world's fifth most CO2 emitter, so Suga's announcement really contributes to the global trend of addressing the issue.
i@n
Great! Now all he has to do is deliver on it
Bjorn Tomention
i@nToday 01:07 pm JST
Because biden has already said he is going to be out front with climate change hasnt he ........he staked his election campaign on addressing climate change and reducing americas oil dependence, didnt he ..........................? And more than half of the voters fell for it !
i@n
Why didn't you mention the US, too?
Leo
The climate is changing as it does over the course of thousands of years. There is not much anyone can do to change it. I predict the human race will not change climate change. All people do is talk about it and point fingers. It is getting old. If you look at pollution air maps when the corona virus first started and China was locked down you could see pollution way down. Now its back to where it was before the pandemic.
Bjorn Tomention
Disillusioned, look around you, you may not have noticed but many of those buses are Hino Hybrids, many of those trucks are also hybrids, Dutro have been hybrid for a long time now, and many of the Kureneko delivery trucks are also Hybrid, these are just some examples.
There is more than what you would think.
Toyota City is also using Hydrogen buses believe.
JCosplay
Well, this is a great change in attitude in terms of Japanese leadership. Because we certainly don’t remember Abe making such commitments as this.
And I visited Japan in December, and at the hostel I was staying at, there was big-time recycling going on there. (“sorting your garbage” and all) So this isn’t an all out 180 on behalf of Japan.
Bjorn Tomention
kurisupisu havent you seen many delivery trucks in Tokyo are Hybrid and many buses are Hydrogen, especially running around where the olympic village was meant to be.