日本国内の石炭火力発電所に話題が及ぶと、デービッド卿は、一人あたりの排出量を2トン/年以下にするには、石炭からの撤退は必須だと断言しました。キング氏は日本の新設を進めようとする状況に対してさらに踏み込み、CO2を排出する発電所は2050年には停止せざるをえなくなるだろうと予想し、このままでは、日本は巨大な負の資産を抱える危険性があるとも指摘しました。
イギリス大使館の環境エネルギー部部長であるリチャード・オッペンハイム氏は、気候変動との闘いは、リスクマネジメントだと言います。リスクを最小化するためには、石炭などの化石燃料をやめて、温室効果ガスを排出しない技術に投資することがきわめて重要です。今こそ対策を採らなければいけないという時に、石炭を推進するのは、愚行でしかありません。パリで開かれるCOP21では、気候変動に関する世界の合意がなされる予定です。日本はそれに貢献できるよう、積極的に取り組んでいくでしょうか?
関係リンク:
国連環境計画:排出量ギャップレポート2010
http://www.unep.org/publications/ebooks/emissionsgapreport/chapter1.asp?c=1.1
国内で石炭火力発電所建設ラッシュの恐れが鮮明に~電力各社、電力供給計画を発表
https://sekitan.jp/info/article20140507/
When the issue of Japan’s growing interest in expanding their domestic coal power plant fleet came up, Sir David made it very clear that to meet the goal of 2 tons per person per annum, Japan must break away from coal. New coal plants and the negative environmental impacts of “so-called clean coal technology” is not the only issue. King went on to state that should Japan take this route there is “a severe risk of creating large scale stranded assets (…) for the year 2050 when I believe carbon dioxide emitting power stations will have to be shutdown worldwide.” The UK government has been very active in promoting cleaner alternatives to curb greenhouse gas emissions and has been instrumental in making renewable energy more affordable. By investing in these technologies now, they believe we will be able to see the price of installation fall in the future.
The head of energy and climate change at the British Embassy in Japan, Richard Oppenheim, sees our fight to battle climate change as an exercise in risk management. It is vital to invest in technologies that have zero emissions which ultimately mean breaking away from polluting fossil fuel alternatives like coal to minimize risk as much as possible. With that being said, it is inadvisable for Japan to turn to coal at the 11th hour when the time to take action against climate change is now. Preparations leading up to COP21 in Paris will be critical as a universal climate change agreement will be made. Will Japan step up to the plate?
Related links:
United Nations Environment Programme, The Emissions Gap Report 2010
http://www.unep.org/publications/ebooks/emissionsgapreport/chapter1.asp?c=1.1
Don’t Go Back to the Sekitan, Fears of a Japanese Coal Rush Now a Reality: Utility Companies Announce Electricity Supply Plans
https://sekitan.jp/en/info/article20140507/