GHG Mitigation in Japan

The document analyzes Japan's 'Warsaw Target' to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3.8 percent from 2005 levels by 2020. It finds that while this target represents a decrease in ambition compared to the earlier Copenhagen Pledge, it is likely achievable if Japan continues electricity-saving efforts and implements existing mitigation policies. The paper notes a lack of transparency regarding expected emissions reductions for specific policy measures and highlights a contradiction between the promotion of high-efficiency coal-fired power plants and Japan's long-term 2050 mitigation goals.

• Japan's 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target, announced at COP19 as the 'Warsaw Target', aims for a 3.8 percent reduction from 2005 levels. This replaces a previous 2009 Copenhagen Pledge that sought a 25 percent reduction from 1990 levels.
• The Warsaw Target is considered less ambitious than the Copenhagen Pledge, particularly because it factors out the emissions avoidance that would have been provided by nuclear power. The target's ambition level is described as similar to the pre-Copenhagen Mid-Term Target of 2009, which pledged a 9 percent domestic reduction by 2020 from 1990 levels.
• Japan is likely to meet the Warsaw Target provided it maintains electricity-saving efforts initiated after the Fukushima disaster, continues other mitigation efforts, and experiences the modest economic growth rates estimated by the IEA and IMF.
• Japan has introduced new mitigation measures including a global-warming tax, a feed-in tariff scheme for renewable electricity, and household thermal insulation improvements. However, the government has not provided expected CO2 reduction figures for most of these measures, nor has it explained how the promotion of high-efficiency coal-fired power plants aligns with its 2050 goal of an 80 percent reduction from 1990 levels.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). GHG Mitigation in Japan. https://www.wri.org/research/ghg-mitigation-japan

Chicago

World Resources Institute. GHG Mitigation in Japan. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/ghg-mitigation-japan.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=GHG Mitigation in Japan |url=https://www.wri.org/research/ghg-mitigation-japan |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendghg, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{GHG Mitigation in Japan}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/ghg-mitigation-japan}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }