Urgent Message from KANBUNon
the Long-Term Strategy under the Paris Agreement as Growth
Strategyofthe Government of JapanOn 25 April 2019, the Government of Japan compiled a draft Long-Term Strategy
under the Paris Agreement as Growth Strategy. The draft Strategy is based on theproposal on 2 April 2019 by the government council which was set up under thedirection of Prime Minister Abe August 2018. As we pointed out last month, thecouncil’s proposal itself was far from “under the Paris Agreement” in the following
points.
1. Throughout the document, the Strategy excessively depends on businessactivities and technologies, without describing their viability or effectiveness interms of people’s happiness and social sustainability. As regards the newtechnologies <Hydrogen society, Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS),
Carbon dioxide Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS),
artificial photosynthesis, and methanation>, the Strategy provides only
superficial recommendation and does not go into details of how to introduce
them effectively.
2. The carbon tax, as a policy measure, is quite effective and important with aproven impact for the promotion of a transition of industry structure, life styles
and even social values. However, the Strategy refers to the carbon tax only in a
few lines just saying the discussion will be continued, nor it refers to any
alternative regulation to control CO 2 emissions. This is a complete neglect of thenearly 30 year discussions among experts on the carbon tax, and also of thesheer fact that major countries in the world have already introduced thiseconomic system and have good effects in reducing CO 2 . Thesebusiness-as-usual type of attitudes are completely different from such phrases
as “disruptive innovation” or “ambitious vision” appearing in the Strategy.
3. The Strategy touches upon the 1.5 degree target, but it does not say anything
about the target of 4% reduction in 2030 or net zero CO2 emissions in 2050,
necessary steps to achieve the target. The 2050 target remains 80% reduction,
which is inadequate both as a promise to the global community and as along-term strategy.

4. The Strategy shows its excessive dependence on the business community andnew technologies in various parts of the document in such phrases as “makingthe most of the wealthy business community with high technologies“, but refers
little to the need of civil participation or importance of national and local
government policies. What the Strategy calls “unprecedented scale ofinnovation“ will not be achieved without people’s understanding andcooperation in addition to business activities, and effective policy measures arequite essential and a key to successful transition. However, the Strategy
depends only on the business, which is quite inadequate as a national strategy.
It may be welcomed by a portion of business society, but will not gain fullsupport of sensible people of this country.
5. This government announced the policy of continuing the former Basic Energy
Plan which does not reflect the Paris Agreement. This actually means that thenuclear power and coal-fired thermal power will be continued, despite thecriticism from global community and the objection from more than 70% of its
nationals. Japanese people will not support this Basic Plan, and in particular, thenuclear power plants. Although IPCC still considers nuclear power as an option
to reduce GHG emissions, the Japanese government has to understand that thebasic conditions are quite different for earth-quake country Japan fromcountries without earthquakes.
6. In the first place, this government does not see a reality that “intellect” is being
decreased in current Japanese society. AI and IOT are just a tool and they will
not generate innovations by themselves. It is a human that can make aninnovation utilizing those IT tools. This Strategy lacks an important viewpoint of
how to nurture “intellect” in our society. There is a description of capacity
development under the section of Other Policy Measures, but it shows an oldconservative idea of education. What is needed is to build a capacity to envision
the future of a sustainable decarbonized society standing on scientific basis andwith philosophical mind
The disruptive innovation that IPCC requests is the innovation in “unprecedentedscale” across the current civilization. It does not expect just the introduction of suchtechnological elements of hydrogen society, CCS, CCUS, or artificial photosynthesis.
Truly, IPCC has a more holistic view of building a new civilization toward adecarbonized society including transition of current industrial structure andeconomic system, reviewing on-going energy and social system, and eventransition of values. However, the Strategy just says “the final goal is to change theeconomic systems and the ways of life in view of the future in and after the latterhalf of this century“; no signs of a strong will to create a new strategy for thebenefit of the next generation.
We, the Kanbun, believes that, to realize the “decarbonized society” requested by
the Paris Agreement, we should mobilize every potential of human beings andchange values and institutional systems introducing technology innovation acrossall sectors of society including business, citizen groups, NPOs, and researchers. Just
a partial change led by the business people would be totally inadequate andinsufficient. It is a great pity that, just like the Proposal of the government council
in this early April, this Strategy lacks such holistic views of the future of this country.
We urgently request the Japanese government to revise the current draft Strategy
by reflecting public comments, so that we could proudly host the G20 conferencesin this June.
May 2019Sabuto KATO and Konoe FUJIMURAAuthorized NPO “Kankyo Bunmei 21” (KANBUN)