Japan's CO2 Emissions Fall for 2nd Yr in FY '09

Tokyo, Nov. 9 (Jiji Press)--Japan's carbon dioxide emissions
through energy consumption decreased for the second straight year in fiscal
2009 due mainly to the sluggish economy, the government said Tuesday.
The country's CO2 emissions decreased 5.6 pct from the previous
year to 1,075 million tons, led by lower emissions from the steel and cement
industries, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said.
The amount was 1.5 pct above the fiscal 1990 level, but the growth
was below the government-targeted average increase of 1.6 pct to 2.8 pct in
the five-year period through fiscal 2012.
The government will buy emission credits from other nations and
take other carbon-offsetting steps to achieve a 6 pct cut from the fiscal
1990 level as promised under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.
By sector, industrial users cut their emissions by 7.9 pct to 386
million tons in the year ended in March this year, the lowest since fiscal
1990.
Emissions from other business users and households decreased year
on year. But compared with the fiscal 1990 levels, their emissions were
still higher because of the spread of information technology products and an
increase in the number of households.
The ministry forecasts that Japan's CO2 emissions for fiscal 2010
are expected to increase due to its economic recovery, an official said.