Japan

Responses

Mitigation

Sectors

Energy Transport

Instruments

Governance

Capacity building Institutional mandates MRV Processes, plans and strategies Subnational and citizen participation

Keywords

Institutions / Administrative Arrangements Research And Development Energy Supply Energy Demand Transport

Act on Promotion of Global Warming Countermeasures (Law No. 117 of 1998)

Legislative

Law

Mitigation Framework

Passed in 2016

This Law is one of the two key climate laws in Japan along with the Energy Conservation Law. The purpose of the Law is to reduce emissions of GHGs derived from anthropogenic activities. GHGs are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, HFC, PFC and sulphur hexafluoride. The Council of Ministers for Global Environmental Conservation is established under the Law. The Council is chaired by the Prime Minister, and vice-chairmen are the Chief Cabinet Secretary, Minister of the Environment and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. Other members consist of all ministers other than vice-chairmen.

Designated emitters, whose workplaces contain more than 1,500kL of oil equivalent of energy annually, are mandated to develop the Plan for Global Warming Countermeasure. While there is no reduction obligation under this law, annual emission of GHGs are reported to the Minister in charge. Emission reporting under this framework equals that of the reporting under the Energy Conservation Law.

This Law stipulates that the State is responsible for implementing necessary measures to introduce Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) in Japan. It adds that examination and discussion of the design and the utilization of ETS starts upon the enactment of this Law.

This Law also provides that the national and local governments are responsible for development and implementation of plans to reduce GHG emissions.

The National Government adopted the Plan for Global Warming Countermeasures in May 2016, with the explicit aim to achieve the mid-term target set in Japan's INDC (2015) 26% GHG emissions reduction by 2030 (baseline 2013). In addition, the Plan also sets a long term goal of 80% GHG emissions reduction by 2050.

Prefectural and municipal governments are also required to create local plans to reduce GHG emissions. The plans should include:

Duration of the plan
Goals
Measures and actions intended for implementation
Promotion of solar PV, wind and other renewable energies
Measures and actions taken by business professionals and citizens to reduce GHG emission
Promotion of public transport use, conservation of green space and other GHG emission reduction measures

On June 4th, 2021, the Diet approved the amending Act 54/2021 introducing a net zero target by 2050 into the law.

Documents

Climate targets in this law

3 targets

References the announcement in October 2020 that Japan aims to reach net zero by 2050.

Economy-wide | Target year: 2050
Sets target to reach net-zero by 2050

Economy-wide | Target year: 2050
Net zero pledge by 2050

Economy-wide | Fixed level target | Target year: 2050 | Base year: 2021