Arab News Japan

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government on Tuesday announced the formulation of the “Zero Emission Tokyo Strategy 2020 Update & Report” that includes progressions on the December 2019 “Zero Emission Tokyo Strategy” action plan to slash carbon emissions to zero on a net basis by 2050.

The report fleshes out the advancements and plans made by the capital of the world’s third-largest economy to verify the commitments made under the 2015 Paris Agreement to keep the rise in global temperatures below 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius.

Japan is the world’s fifth-biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, the heat trapping gas that scientists say is already causing major heat waves, bigger and more powerful cyclones and periods of drought around the world.

Under the strategy, the government will update 14 policies in six sectors including the Energy Sector, Urban Infrastructure (buildings) Sector, Urban Infrastructure Sector (transport), Resource/Industrial Sector and the Climate Change Adaptation Sector to promote a greener society. This includes 26 visions for social change, 36 approaches, and 94 efforts to be immediately accelerated and strengthened.

The report outlined the revised targets that were strengthened to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Tokyo for its 2030 target. The revised targets include the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in Tokyo by 50% by 2030, relative to greenhouse gas emissions in the year 2000, the reduction of Energy Consumption in Tokyo by 50% and the increase in use of renewable energy, with the reference goal of power generated by renewable energy sources accounting to approximately 50%.

The strategy also aims to expand the use of Hydrogen energy.

In order to halve greenhouse gas emissions and realize the so-called “Carbon Half” by 2030, the reconstruction and redesign of socio-economic structures within all fields ranging from business to urban development has been described as “necessary” by TMG to enable the transition to a decarbonized society. In line with this realization, TMG is promoting the “2030 Carbon-Half Style” as part of the vision to accelerate the necessary social changes.

Tokyo is now advocating the 2050 target with the slogan “TIME TO ACT” that calls on the acceleration of systematic effort and effective action of companies and governments to align with a low-carbon economy by reducing carbon emissions with an aim to strengthen the global response to the climate crisis in the context of sustainable development through the promotion of further cooperation to continue working towards the universal goal of decarbonization.