Japan’s youth delegation to COP15 has called on the Japanese government to introduce an effective policy in order to acheive the 6 percent reduction target Japan promised to undertake during the first commitment of the Kyoto Protocol. They also called on their government to abide by the mid-term reduction target of 25 percent by 2020 from 1990 levels.
“Our primary concern is the further delay of provisions for climate change due to a prevention of the international agreement on the post 2012 framework at COP15,” the Japanese Youth Delegation said in a press release.
While Japan’s youth demonstrated they’re aware of what needs to be done, their elders in the government had the dubious distinction of winning the “Fossil of the Day” award at Copenahgen on Saturday evening, presented by a collection of international NGOs to those countries that resist a deal.
“Yesterday, 11th December, was the Kyoto Protocol’s birthday. But even though Kyoto is growing older, the Japanese negotiators don’t seem to be getting any more mature. At both COP and COP/MOP today, Japan strongly opposed setting a second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol, blocking progress by refusing the chair’s text as a basis for negotiation,” a statement from Japan’s Kiko Net read.