[Joint Statement]
Initiate strengthening of Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in response to COP26 decision
-Joint statement calling for raising the 2030 reduction target and reviewing related policies to avert a climate crisis

7th December, 2022

The twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), held in Glasgow, United Kingdom, from October 31, 2021, was extended by one day and concluded on November 13 with the adoption of the Glasgow Climate Pact.

The Glasgow Climate Pact resolved to take into account the latest scientific findings and effectively set a goal for the world to make efforts to limit the temperature rise to 1.5°C, in order to avoid the worst impacts that would come from a 2°C increase. It also affirmed the critical importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions this decade to achieve the goal, including reducing carbon dioxide emissions globally by 45% below 2010 levels by 2030, and aiming for net zero emissions by 2050.

Significantly, it acknowledged that even if all current NDCs were implemented, the 1.5°C target would still be far from being achieved, and called on parties to the Paris Agreement to “revisit and strengthen the 2030 targets in their nationally determined contributions as necessary to align with the Paris Agreement temperature goal by the end of 2022”(*1).

In order to close the gap to within 1.5°C, Japan must review and strengthen its NDC, including the 2030 target, in accordance with this decision. Moreover, to submit a new NDC at COP27 in 2022, the review process needs to start in early 2022. In addition to strengthening the targets, relevant policies must also be strengthened swiftly in order to adequately accelerate the measures.

Notably, the Glasgow Climate Pact includes rapidly scaling up the deployment of clean electricity, “including accelerating efforts towards the phasedown of unabated coal power and phase-out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies“(*2). The term “unabated ” is used internationally to refer to carbon capture and storage (CCS), and does not include “hydrogen and ammonia co-firing” or “increasing the efficiency of thermal power generation” as promoted by the Japanese government. Since it was the consensus of most countries at COP26 that coal power generation should be phased out, Japan is required to strengthen its relevant measures and policies.

Therefore, in order to achieve the 1.5°C target called for by the Glasgow Climate Pact, we call on the Japanese government to take the following actions in order to submit an NDC with enhanced reduction targets by 2022.

1. Resubmit its NDC in 2022, and raise the reduction target further from the current “46% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to FY2013, and continue to challenge for a higher target of 50%” to be consistent with the 1.5°C target.

In response to the CMA decision(*3), which calls for strengthening the reduction target by reviewing and submitting NDCs by the end of 2022 to achieve the 1.5°C target, we, as developed countries, including Japan, the world’s fifth largest emitter, should clearly declare our intention to achieve the 1.5°C target, and call for further reductions when submitting our NDC in 2022. If international contributions are to be included, they should be added to the target. The Climate Action Tracker, an international group of scientists, has analyzed that Japan needs to reduce its emissions by more than 60% by 2030 compared to 2013 in order to achieve a temperature below 1.5°C.

2. Initiate a review of coal-related policies and other major policies. Review the Sixth Strategic Energy Plan and the Plan for Global Warming Countermeasures for this purpose.

The climate- and energy-related measures and energy mix presented in the Sixth Strategic Energy Plan and other documents approved by the Cabinet on October 22, 2021, are completely inadequate for Japan’s goal of achieving the 1.5°C target. The CMA decision calls for accelerating the introduction of renewable energy, reducing coal power generation, and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies. In response, we call on the government to review the Sixth Strategic Energy Plan and the Plan for Global Warming Countermeasures, and to shift from the current policy of continuing coal power generation with the expectation to implement ammonia and hydrogen technologies, to a policy of raising the target for the introduction of renewable energy and specifically phasing out coal power plants.

 

Climate Action Network Japan (CAN-Japan)
350.org Japan
Citizens’ Climate Lobby Japan (CCL Japan)
FoE Japan
WWF Japan
Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies (ISEP)
Kiko Network
Greenpeace Japan
Renewable Energy Institute
World Federalist Movement of Japan (WFM Japan)
CASA (Citizens Alliance for Saving the Atmosphere and the Earth)
Community Organizing Japan (COJ)

*1 CMA3 cover decision Paragraph 29
*2 CMA3 cover decision Paragraph 36
*3 Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA)

Signatories

This statement was signed by 45 civil society organizations in Japan as of 23rd December, 2021.

Fridays for Future Osaka
Fridays For Future Tokyo
Japan Association of Environment and Society for the 21st Century
Green Alliance Japan, Peoples’ Association of Renewable Energy
350 New ENEration
350Tokyo
350 Shizuoka
350 Chushikoku Network
Fridays For Future Hiroshima
Fridays For Future Sendai
Fridays For Future Yokohama
Fridays For Future Dazaifu
NPO Edogawa Citizen’s network for Climate Changes (ECCC)
OUR Energy
Oiso Energy shift Japan
Organization for Future Energy Planning in Okayama
Kyoto Green Fund, Liaison Office for Green & Water Protection in Kyoto
Kumamoto Association for Rice Teraces Prevention and Hydro Power Promotion
Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center
Kodaira solar
Sustainability Forum Japan
Sayonara Genpatsu Odawara
Neyagawa citizens party for Renewable Energy
Shiminkyodohatsuden Minoo
NPO People’s power network
Climate emergency declaration local assembly member network
CO·OP Seikatsu Club Yamagata
Alliance for Achieving a Zero Emission Society
Zeroemi Yokohama
Zero Carbon City Suginami
Save the Earth! Action 97
NPO Team 1.5 Oita
NPO Toyonaka Civic Energy Association
Narashino surf club
Powershift Suginami
Power-shift Fukuoka
Higashimurayama Energy
Energy Working Group of the Hita Citizens’ Environmental Council
Becquerelfree Hokkaido
Hokkaido Green Fund
Hokkaido New Energy Promotion Association
Yamagata Renewable Energy Network
Really Blue Earth Osaka

Contact

Climate Action Network Japan（CAN-Japan）
https://www.can-japan.org/
E-mail：secretariat@can-japan.org