COUNTRY PROGRESS in the First Half of 2023
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On 23rd April 2023, The Ministry of the Environment and the National Institute for Environmental Studies released Japan’s National Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removals (final figures) for fiscal year (FY) 2021 (April 2021 – March 2022).
This means the following release timing is April 2024 for fiscal year 2022 (April 2022 – March 2023). In April 2025, the figures for the fiscal year 2023 (April 2023 – March 2024) should be available.
They published the preliminary values in November or December, timing each year in the past. Therefore, in November or December 2023, the preliminary figures for fiscal year 2022 (April 2022 – March 2023) may be available. The data will be provided on a fiscal year basis, not monthly.
Summary of the Newly Released 2021 Data
1.122 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2 eq.) of GHG emissions and removals were reported for FY2021; this is a 2.0% increase over FY2020. According to the report, the primary driver of the potential rise in emissions compared to FY2020 is the higher energy usage brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic recovery, like other G7 nations.
In April 2021, Japan announced a new GHG reduction target for FY2030 of 46% below the FY13 level. Compared to the GHG emissions in FY2013, the GHG emissions of FY2021 represented a drop of 20.3%.
As stated in Post 63, Japan’s progress in reducing its GHG emissions is sluggish, making it challenging to meet its April 2021 commitment of 46% below 2013 levels. Japan needs to considerably increase its efforts to reduce emissions across all sectors to achieve the target.
Source: Ministry of the Environment Government of Japan, Greenhouse Gas Inventory Office of Japan, National Institute for Environmental Studies.
This Post was submitted by Climate Scorecard Japan Country Manager Takeda Kazuya.