ID :
9775
Wed, 06/11/2008 - 11:20
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/9775
The shortlink copeid
Japan, Finland agree to cooperate closely in tackling climate change
Tokyo, June 11 Kyodo - Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen agreed Tuesday in Tokyo to continue close cooperation in tackling the ''biggest common challenge'' of climate change.
In a joint press announcement following their talks, Vanhanen commended Japan's long-term target of cutting domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 60-80 percent by 2050 from current levels and urged Fukuda to adopt a similarly ''ambitious'' medium-term goal.
''I...encourage Prime Minister Fukuda to adopt an ambitious medium-term target for Japan as we have done in the European Union,'' Vanhanen said.
The European Union has already set a medium-term emissions reduction target, committing itself to cuts of 20-30 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, in an effort to lead negotiations to create a new carbon-capping framework beyond the 2012 expiration of the Kyoto Protocol.
On Monday, Fukuda announced Japan's new initiative to tackle climate change in a move to display his government's active stance in dealing with the global warming issue as host of the Group of Eight summit scheduled to take place in Hokkaido in July.
In the initiative, Fukuda promised to attain the 60-80 percent reduction target over the long term and said Japan will announce a medium-term target at ''an appropriate time next year,'' while citing an estimate that it can slash emissions by 14 percent by 2020 from the 2005 level.
On Japan's proposal to calculate greenhouse gas reduction targets based on a ''sectoral'' approach, Vanhanen said, ''It seems to me that the sectoral approach may have the potential to become a useful building block in achieving overall national targets.''
Using energy efficiency in each sector as a yardstick, the approach involves determining potential reduction volumes on an industry-by-industry, area-by-area basis that would then be tallied for a quantified national target.
Areas include offices, households and transportation.
Vanhanen emphasized the need for developed countries such as Japan and Finland to ''take the lead on the way forward'' in terms of measures to deal with global warming and expressed hope that the G-8 summit in July will ''take bold steps to fight climate change.''
The two leaders also said they agreed to promote economic and business relationships between Japan and Finland and discussed the common issue of their aging populations.
''We discussed the issue of aging societies, which is a challenge that both of our countries are facing, and welcomed the ongoing bilateral cooperation utilizing the knowledge and IT technologies of Finland,'' Fukuda said. ==Kyodo.
In a joint press announcement following their talks, Vanhanen commended Japan's long-term target of cutting domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 60-80 percent by 2050 from current levels and urged Fukuda to adopt a similarly ''ambitious'' medium-term goal.
''I...encourage Prime Minister Fukuda to adopt an ambitious medium-term target for Japan as we have done in the European Union,'' Vanhanen said.
The European Union has already set a medium-term emissions reduction target, committing itself to cuts of 20-30 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, in an effort to lead negotiations to create a new carbon-capping framework beyond the 2012 expiration of the Kyoto Protocol.
On Monday, Fukuda announced Japan's new initiative to tackle climate change in a move to display his government's active stance in dealing with the global warming issue as host of the Group of Eight summit scheduled to take place in Hokkaido in July.
In the initiative, Fukuda promised to attain the 60-80 percent reduction target over the long term and said Japan will announce a medium-term target at ''an appropriate time next year,'' while citing an estimate that it can slash emissions by 14 percent by 2020 from the 2005 level.
On Japan's proposal to calculate greenhouse gas reduction targets based on a ''sectoral'' approach, Vanhanen said, ''It seems to me that the sectoral approach may have the potential to become a useful building block in achieving overall national targets.''
Using energy efficiency in each sector as a yardstick, the approach involves determining potential reduction volumes on an industry-by-industry, area-by-area basis that would then be tallied for a quantified national target.
Areas include offices, households and transportation.
Vanhanen emphasized the need for developed countries such as Japan and Finland to ''take the lead on the way forward'' in terms of measures to deal with global warming and expressed hope that the G-8 summit in July will ''take bold steps to fight climate change.''
The two leaders also said they agreed to promote economic and business relationships between Japan and Finland and discussed the common issue of their aging populations.
''We discussed the issue of aging societies, which is a challenge that both of our countries are facing, and welcomed the ongoing bilateral cooperation utilizing the knowledge and IT technologies of Finland,'' Fukuda said. ==Kyodo.
