Japan Plans Environmental Issues Drive

Japan is planning to expand its involvement with environmental issues with measures including the creation of as many as one million new positions of employment – a move that is designed both as an anti-climate change drive, and one that, in the context of the current global financial position, is seen as a potential Japanese economy-booster too.

"The worldwide trend is to kill two birds with one stone by investing in action against global warming and linking that to taking care of both the environment and the economy", Ichiro Sumikura, an official working at Japan’s environmental ministry, explained.

"We want to take the initiative and build a leading low-carbon society while stepping out of recession before anyone else in the world”, he added.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Between March 2007 and March of last year, greenhouse gasses emitted by Japan reached unprecedented heights – a scenario that could jeopardise its pledge to ensure that, over the next three years, CO2 (carbon dioxide) and other emissions fall to six per cent below what they were in 1990.

Previously, it was planned that Japan’s eco-drive – with 2.2 million employees to be taken on and its environmental friendly sector potentially reaching 100 trillion yen in value– would take place up to the year 2020.

However, it now seems that this could occur earlier than anticipated, possibly up to five years earlier.

Environmentally Friendly Activities

Already, 1.4 million workers in Japan are involved in environmentally friendly activities, such as manufacturing low energy consumption electronic goods, according to data released by the ministry, while market value currently stands at around 70 trillion yen.

In order to stir this up a bit, the ministry is thinking of making nil-interest loans available to companies with environmental interests, amongst other measures.

The plan, according to Sumikura, has received Taro Aso’s (the Prime Minister of Japan’s) approval and its specific features are now set to be revealed in two months’ time.

Green New Deal

Late in 2008, the United Nations urged for a so-called ‘Green New Deal’ to be implemented on a worldwide scale.

Barack Obama, the soon-to-be US President, focused on issues to do with the environment during his election campaign, with the notion of a multi-billion dollar programme that would see five million new jobs open up, as well as lessen the US’ use of oil from overseas.

Obama has also, however, publically acknowledged that the global economic situation could hamper the speed at which these environmental measures could be put into effect.