Japan’s greenhouse gas emissions fall to lowest on record

Apr 18, 2022 | News On Japan

5.1 percent drop in greenhouse gas emissions marks seven consecutive years of decline.

Apr 18, 2022 (Al Jazeera) - Japan’s greenhouse gas emissions fell to a record low in the financial year that ended March 2021, government figures showed on Friday, a result of slower industry activities amid the pandemic and wider use of renewable energy.

The 5.1 percent decline marks seven consecutive years of falls.

Emissions for 2020-21 fell to the equivalent of 1.15 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) from 1.21 billion tonnes the previous year.

The 2020-21 level was the lowest since 1990-91 when Japan began compiling data on greenhouse gas emissions, revised data from the environment ministry shows.

Japan, the world’s fifth-biggest carbon emitter, raised its climate goal in April 2021, pledging to trim emissions by 46 percent from 2013 levels by 2030 instead of its previous target of 26 percent. If this is achieved, 2030 emissions will be 0.76 billion tonnes.

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