SDG Impact Japan

Given that average person in Japan consumes 23kg fish per year. Apparently 10% of all the fish caught on the planet is eaten in Japan despite comprising less than 2% of the world population this news has significant bearing on Japan. The European Union and the governments of 13 countries urged nations on Tuesday to prioritize the ratification of a U.N. treaty to protect the world's oceans from overfishing and other human activities.The global pact to conserve biodiversity in the high seas was formally adopted by the United Nations last year and is seen as a crucial tool to meet a target to protect 30% of the Earth's land and sea by 2030, known as "30 by 30." The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service said last month that ocean temperatures hit a record high in February, according to data that goes back to 1979. Overfishing and plastic pollution are also major threats to oceans. https://lnkd.in/dA2xEW3q

Southeast Asia is "woefully off track" on green investments to reduce emissions and needs new policies and financial mechanisms to help bridge the gap, the global. Energy consumption in the region expected to grow 40% this decade. While green investment grew 20% last year, it is way short of the $1.5 trillion required this decade, and emissions in the 10 countries in the region could overshoot their 2030 pledges by 32% if they continue on their current trajectory. Clean energy accounts for just 10% of total supplies, and fossil fuel subsidies are around five times higher than renewable investments. High capital costs, as well as uncertain grid and tariff regulations, have also made it harder to finance renewable projects. Meanwhile, only four of the 10 countries in the region — Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam — have made progress in putting a price on carbon. https://lnkd.in/d2hgkmbS

Japan will need new nuclear power plants to meet its 2050 net zero goal, according to nation’s main electricity utilities. At least some reactors scheduled to retire by the mid-century will have to be replaced with newer units, Toshiharu Sasaki, vice chairman of the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, which represents major utilities, said Tuesday. “There’s consensus now building that nuclear is necessary,” Sasaki told the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum’s annual conference in Tokyo. “The issue is the volume — as data centers and IT facilities are set up, they consume more electricity.” New reactors are needed to help reduce dependence on costly fossil fuel imports and to help boost economic competitiveness, he said. The government should also include more precise guidance on the role of nuclear as it revises the nation’s energy mix targets. https://lnkd.in/e8YaZfAC

Japan’s emissions inched lower led by a contraction in pollution from the industrial sector.Emissions from the world’s fourth-largest economy slipped 2.3% in the year ending March 2023 to 1.085 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, the environment ministry said Friday. While the new figure represents a 23% reduction from 2013 levels, it’s still a way off from the 46% reduction the government has pledged to make by 2030. The drop was led by a 5.3% decline in emissions from the industrial sector as steel production fell which reduced power demand, the ministry said. Residential emissions also shrank 1.4% while pollution from vehicles increased 3.9%. The data comes amid concern that the country isn’t doing enough to reduce its emissions. During a visit last month, top U.S. climate diplomat John Podesta said Japan should accelerate its renewable energy rollout and focus on technologies including offshore wind. Fossil fuels still account for roughly 70% of the country’s power generation. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged at COP28 last year not to build any more coal-fired plants domestically that lack carbon capture and storage technology. https://lnkd.in/d3cgxtDR

Apple was pressed on Thursday to take action on Vietnam's detention of climate experts, with activist organizations saying it should weigh in given that the country has become a key manufacturing hub for the iPhone-maker.In a letter to Apple, more than 60 human rights and environmental rights organizations highlighted the Sept. 15 detention of Ngo Thi To Nhien, the executive director of the Vietnam Initiative for Energy Transition (VIET), an independent think tank focused on green energy policy. Before her detention, Nhien had worked with the Vietnamese government and international organizations on the country’s energy transition towards renewable energy, according to Bangkok-based advocacy group Project88, one of the rights groups that signed the letter. Vietnamese authorities have accused Nhien of improperly accessing documents. At least five other climate experts have been detained, accused of tax fraud. https://lnkd.in/ewXEFYq4

From Japan; The Food Safety Commission of Japan released a draft report last month on the daily intake limit for PFAS, a set of fluorinated chemicals recently linked to a range of health issues such as cancer and pregnancy complications. The report spells out the “tolerable daily intake” (TDI) of PFAS through food for the first time. It recommended a limit of 20 nanograms each of PFOA and PFOS — two of the most used PFAS compounds — per kilogram of body weight per day. In Japan, there is very little data on residents’ exposure to PFAS. But recently, people in Okinawa and western Tokyo have become concerned about their longtime exposure to contaminated drinking water. In such areas, PFAS chemicals are suspected to have leaked from nearby U.S. military bases where it has been confirmed that PFAS-containing fire foams had been used in the past. In June last year, a group of concerned residents in western Tokyo announced they had PFAS levels in their blood that was more than double the national average..... Some of the PFAS substances have been linked to health issues. According to the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a branch of the Department of Health and Human Services, high levels of certain PFAS chemicals may lead to an increased risk of kidney or testicular cancer, higher cholesterol levels, risk of decreased birth weights and weakened vaccine response in children. They could also cause pregnancy complications and liver enzyme changes, the agency says. However, much is still unknown about the health risks posed by PFAS. The risks also depend on the dose or frequency of exposure, individual sensitivity and access to safe water and health care. https://lnkd.in/dggaXBhN

Japan is calling on investors to contribute trillions of yen to support its efforts to combat climate change. However, both environmental experts and investor groups are expressing reservations about the effectiveness of the projects that the world's first sovereign "transition bonds" will be financing. These bonds will fund a range of projects and technologies that are expected to expedite Japan's transition to carbon neutrality by 2050. In line with its green transformation strategy, Japan is seeking to attract approximately ¥150 trillion ($997 billion) in investment from both the private and public sectors. Japan has taken a big step towards a greener future with the issuance of Japan Climate Transition Bonds worth ¥20 trillion over the next decade. The move is aimed at encouraging investment in sustainable projects. However, some experts have expressed concerns about the practical benefits of some of the supported projects and their contribution to decarbonization. Nevertheless, the new policy is a positive indication of Japan's commitment to a greener path. Hideo Oshima, a senior economist at the Japan Research Institute, warns of the high risks of failure in such projects. Despite promoting the use of ammonia for thermal power and developing next-generation nuclear reactors, there are still concerns of greenhouse gas emissions and the ability to deliver on promises. Oshima cautions about the potential for these projects to become mere greenwashing. Japan's plan to facilitate the research and development of ammonia or hydrogen co-firing has sparked controversy among environmental groups. Critics see it as a move to prolong the life of coal-fired plants and are doubtful that ammonia would be as cost-effective as renewables like wind and solar. However, the government argues that it is important to explore new technologies due to the limited availability of land and frequent natural disasters. Rapidly phasing out fossil fuels could put a stable energy supply at risk, according to the industry ministry. What are your thoughts on this issue?  

Shein and Temu Are Driving Oil. consumption in China. Politicians should heavily regulate ultra-fast and fast-fashion. Petroleum consumption in the world’s biggest emitter these days isn’t so much about vehicles as the shirt on your back. The best way to understand this apparent contradiction is to remember oil consumption in the world’s biggest emitter these days isn’t so much about GM and Toyota as Shein and Temu — because it’s being driven by chemicals, not vehicles. If Chinese oil consumption is growing, it’s because the country is aggressively moving its petrochemicals sector onshore, displacing demand that was previously served by imports from Japan, South Korea, the Persian Gulf and Europe.petroleum fuels must be burned to be used, instantly putting emissions into the atmosphere. Petrochemicals, however, tend to keep their carbon locked up in their molecular structures. Though they’re anything but CO2-free, an oil industry shifting from fuels to chemical feedstocks is likely to see emissions decline even ahead of a peak in liquid fuels usage. https://lnkd.in/dkyb8x8w

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SDG Impact Japan was appointed as an ambassador of SusHi Tech Tokyo 2024 Global Startup Program. SusHi Tech Tokyo 2024 Global Startup Program" is the largest scale global innovation conference in Asia and the only one of its kind in Japan, which creates "unseen encounters" with startup ecosystems in Japan and abroad to solve common urban issues worldwide. The program will include sessions, pitch contests, booth exhibits, and business matching to create "sustainable new value" by overcoming common global urban challenges such as population growth, energy and environment, aging infrastructure, and the transmission of traditional culture with cutting-edge technology, diverse ideas, and digital know-how. Diverse stakeholders including leading Asian and global startups, investors, large corporations, countries/cities, and student entrepreneurs will gather in Tokyo to create business open innovation with significant social and economic impact. https://lnkd.in/gGXzaY94 #STT2024GSP