Japan is calling on the United Nations to tone down its recommendation to gradually reduce fossil fuel use, British broadcaster BBC and other media reported Thursday.
The recommendation is included in an assessment report, compiled by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change every six to seven years. The report has tremendous influence over global climate talks.
The reported request from Japan highlights how cautious the country is about reducing fossil fuel use ahead of a UN climate conference set to open in Glasgow, Scotland, later this month. Japan is hugely reliant on fossil fuels.
The media reports said a Japanese Foreign Ministry official has urged the removal of a portion of the UN report detailing the need to shut down coal and gas-fired power plants in nine and 12 years, respectively, on average.
Japan also argued that carbon capture and storage technology, with which carbon dioxide can be stored underground, can reduce emissions dramatically, according to the media reports.
The comments are seen as an attempt to soften the report’s call to rapidly turn away from fossil fuels.
Saudi Arabia, a major oil producer, and Australia, a major coal producer, have also called for revisions to the recommendation, according to the media reports.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/10/22/national/japan-climate-report/
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Category: Japan
