国際的な気候変動情報開示推進NGOのCDPは9月14日、日本での二酸化炭素排出量削減イニシアチブ「気候変動イニシアティブ（JCI）」の発足背景や今後の期待を表明する英文メッセージを当サイト「Sustainable Japan」に寄稿した。JCIは、CDPジャパン、WWF（世界自然保護基金）ジャパン、自然エネルギー財団が事務局を務め、2018年に発足。当サイトを運営するニューラルもJCIに参加している。
同メッセージは、日本の二酸化炭素排出量削減目標について、2030年までに26%削減という目標は、EUの40%以上削減という目標に比べ野心的でないと主張。日本国内では石炭火力発電所の新設計画が40以上もある中、一方で再生可能エネルギー発電割合が伸長するなど明るい兆しがあるとも述べている。
その中で、集団的アクションを進めるため発足したJCIには、すでに105社・団体が参加。9月に米カリフォルニア州が主催する「グローバルクライメートアクションサミット（GCAS）」の場では、米国の気候変動対応推進イニシアチブ「We are still in」との協働アクションを展開している。CDPは、JCIは今後さらに参加機関が増やすべきと主張。今年12月の気候変動枠組条約カトヴィツェ会議（COP24）に向け、集団的アクションの動きに大きな期待を寄せた。
以下、原文。
Will the Japan Climate Initiative change Japan’s carbon future?
Are we hooked on coal?
Despite the urgent need to reduce global carbon emissions, the share of coal power in the Japanese electricity mix increased from 9.7% in 1990 to 31% in 2015.
Why has this come about? Our limited supply of natural resources means that in Japan, energy security is king and we have come to depend largely on imports of fossil fuels. In fact, there are plans to build more than 40 new domestic coal plants.
As a result, our proposed contribution to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement to keep global temperatures rise well below 2 degrees is an unambitious 26% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, against a 2013 baseline. In contrast, the EU-wide target is to cut emissions by at least 40%.
Yet the picture in Japan is far from all doom and gloom. The share of renewable energy in our total electricity generation has increased considerably - from around 9% in 2010 to 15% in 2016 and there is a growing consensus that we urgently need collective action on carbon emissions.
The Japan Climate Initiative
This is why a cross-sectoral group of 105 companies, organizations and local governments have recently launched the Japan Climate Initiative (JCI).
Members of the initiative all believe that Japan should play a greater role in reducing global carbon emissions through the promotion of energy efficiency and the expansion of renewable energy. They include large multinationals such as Panasonic, Sumitomo, Nikon and Bloomberg, cities and administrative districts such as Kyoto, Osaka and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and global organisations such as CDP and the WWF.
Action on the ground
Of course, joining an initiative is just the start, and the JCI will only succeed with dedicated efforts from its members. Encouragingly, the JCI has a concrete action plan to support transition to a decarbonized society. This focuses on all members developing their own climate actions and working together to activate efforts within and between sectors.
A good starting point for members (who have not previously done so) would be to draw on the impressive climate measures already introduced across a sizeable chunk of corporate Japan. To date, 74 Japanese companies - including Panasonic, Sony and Sekisui Chemical - have committed to set emissions reductions targets in line with what science says is needed to hold global temperature rise below 2 degrees.
Meanwhile, eleven companies – including AEON, Fujitsu and Ricoh – have committed to source 100% renewable energy through RE100, and many local governments have set renewable energy deployment targets far exceeding Japan’s national target.
They realise that tackling climate change is not only necessary to ensure a sustainable future, but that doing so also generates new opportunities for growth and development through increased efficiencies and improved financial returns.
What about the rest of the world?
The JCI is far from the only cross sector collaboration working to reduce the impacts of climate change. In fact, the JCI itself was inspired by the ‘We are Still In’ movement in the United States, a force of over 3,500 cities, states, businesses and other institutions committed to facing the climate challenge.
This September, initiatives such as the JCI and ‘We are Still in’ are combining forces on the global stage at the Global Climate Action Summit, which will bring leaders from around the world together to present a unified front of increased ambition and collaboration on climate action.
It is inspiring to see so many organisations joining together and working hard to reduce emissions. In doing so they are better positioned to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the low-carbon transition, and to protect themselves against regulatory, reputational and financial risks. The Economist Intelligence Unit estimates that US$4.2 trillion worth of assets are at risk from climate change – roughly on a par with the total value of all the world’s listed oil and gas companies, or Japan’s entire GDP.
The run up to COP24. How much can the JCI achieve?
This December, COP24 , the UN's annual climate conference, will take place in Poland. Here, it is hoped that the final rulebook for implementing the Paris climate change agreement will be agreed by all parties. In the run up to COP24 the JCI should do all it can to increase membership and use the power of collective action to drive real transformation across Japanese businesses, cities and regions.
In doing so, they will be developing an even more persuasive argument for a better Japanese energy future that relies far less on coal and involves much more impressive emissions reductions.
Individual actions are of crucial importance, but can only go so far. At CDP, we believe that cross-sectoral collective movements like the JCI are one of the most important building blocks in the new low-carbon economy.
記：CDP Worldwide-Japan ジャパン・ディレクター 森澤充世
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