"GFJ Commentary" introduces news analyses andopinions in Japan on the relations of Japan with therest of the world, but they do not represent the viewsof GFJ as an institution.

26 February, 2009

Suggestions From Japan for Post-Kyoto
Protocol Framework
by SUZUKI Keisuke
Only about a year ago, one of the most pressing global issues was soaring crude oil prices. This
makes me realize the transient and fast-changing nature of the economic trends. In the face ofsoaring crude oil prices, such alternate solutions as biomass energy or energy-saving technology
attracted much attention, and so did countermeasures against global warming in the world. Now,
in contrast, with energy prices standing stable and a sense of crisis on the wane, environmental
issues at large seem to be slightly losing worldwide attention.
But the year 2009 should mark a momentous milestone towards forging a post-Kyoto Protocol
framework to address global warming, which will come into effect from 2013. The success ofmeasures against global warming hinges on how far the greenhouse gas emission could bereduced. And, the international community has almost reached a consensus on the total required
amount of emission cuts in order to control the certain level of global warming. Besides, it hasagreed on the need to achieve an amount of reduction calculated on world's spare economic
capacity. Thus far, it was the language of science. But here comes in politics, where eachcountry is firmly committed to the pursuit of out-and-out national interests, over the question ofallocating to each responsibility of reduction. The discussion over when to set emission baselineor whether reduction is calculated by total amount or basic Unit for Energy is not the languageof science but simply that of politics.
While Japan is duly required further to reduce its emission as a country with the highest level ofenergy efficiency in the world, more importantly, it is in a position to launch a scientificapproach more positively and offer scientifically feasible and realistic models for reducing
greenhouse gas emission. As far as developing countries are concerned, from my own
experience, it is important to be so careful and realistic as to prepare different bases forcalculation of reduction targets, respectively for the industrial and transportation sectors, which
can be rather sassily controlled by government control and allows for scientific calculation, andfor the private sector, which is easily influenced by individual decision maker.
In this connection, I have been trying to convince the Japanese government on such occasions as
meetings of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan that it is apparently unscientific to
entrust each government to work out its own medium-term goal of reduction by using its own
standard of calculation, and thus it is necessary to apply the same global standard of calculation
to each country to formulate a medium-term goal including at least that of reduction potential.
Instead of locking horns with other countries over the reduction targets estimated in eachcountry behind closed doors, it is required of Japan now to convince the international
community of a need to examine what kind of model is most scientific. As for the industrial
sector, sufficient knowledge has been accumulated through such framework as Asia-PacificPartnership for Clean Development and Climate (APP). Japan should communicate those ideas
above to the world before it is too late. Upon having fixed the reduction potential of eachcountry through scientific approach based on scientific data, we should discuss who should bear
the cost of the technology required; manufacturers which developed the technology, developed
countries or developing countries as beneficiaries.
Here is an idea. As it is not fair that a developer should bear the cost of transfer and licensing oftechnology, and in order not to discourage development incentives or future innovation, it ispreferable that the technology transfer should be conducted on a commercial basis with due
respect for intellectual property rights. And in cases of developing countries except emerging
ones, the costs required for it are to be born by developed countries through funds whennecessary. What do you think of this?

(This is the English translation of an article written by Mr. SUZUKI Keisuke, Member of
theHouseof

Representatives(LDP),

which“Giron-Hyakushutsu” of GFJ on February 4, 2009.)

originallyappearedontheBBS