[:ja]昨2015年末は、これからの世界の石炭政策の方針に大きな影響を与える重大な決定が立て続けになされました。
OECD輸出規制への合意
１つは、11月17日、経済協力開発機構（OECD）の輸出信用・信用保証部会が石炭火力の発電設備の輸出を規制する方針に合意したことです。合意内容は、低効率（亜臨界・超臨界）で中小規模の石炭火力発電技術の輸出を規制するもので、石炭火力発電技術の一切を規制するものではないため、小さな一歩にしかすぎません。しかし、この議題は1年以上議論されながら、日本や韓国、オーストラリアなどの一部の国だけが反対して先送りされてきました。日本政府もいかなる規制にも反対という立場を取り続けていましたが、石炭推進への国内外の批判やCOP21パリ会議前の機運が高まる中で、合意を妨害することはもはやできなくなっていたのでしょう。今回、限定的とはいえ石炭火力発電の規制にOECDとして踏み込んだことは重要なことです。気候変動の共通の目標に向け、2021年に更には合意内容を強化することも決定しているので、規制が今後一層強化されるのは確実です。
今回の規制の概要は以下の通りで、2017年1月より適用されます（環境影響評価など手続きがすべて終了している場合は除く）。OECD輸出信用アレンジメントの規制には、以下の通り、返済・償還期間が設定されました。
表. OECDで合意された石炭火力発電設備ごとの最長返済・償還期間
| 発電設備の規模（総設備容量） | 50万kW以上 | 30-50万kW | 30万kW未満 |
| 超々臨界圧（蒸気圧力24.0MPa以上、蒸気温度593℃以上）、または排出量750ｇCO2/kWh以下 | 12年間*1 | 12年間*1 | 12年間*1 |
| 超臨界（蒸気圧力22.1MPa以上、蒸気温度550℃以上）、または排出量750-850g CO2/kWh | 対象外 | 10年、ただしIDA(訳注)の借入国のみ*1,2,3 | 10年、ただしIDA(訳注)の借入国のみ*1,2,3 |
| 亜臨界（蒸気圧力22.1MPa未満）、または排出量850g CO2/kWh以上 | 対象外 | 対象外 | 10年、ただしIDA(訳注)の借入国のみ*1,3 |
*1 公的支援が適切であれば、例外的に最長返済・償還期間を2年間延長できる場合もある。
*2 エネルギー貧困に対応するため、輸出信用申請書を受領した時点で当該国の電化率が90%以下の場合、10年間の輸出信用支援を行うことができる。
*3 代替手段がなく、物理的・地理的に隔離され、既存のグリッド環境において提案事業が最良の導入可能技術であると判断された場合には、IDA借入国以外の国々にも輸出信用支援を行うことができる。
（訳注） 国際開発協会（IDA）は、世界銀行の低開発途上国向けの支援基金。IDAによる輸出信用を受ける申請手続きを完了するとIDA適格国となり、ここにはIDA融資のみの適格国（IDA-only国）と混合融資適格国（ブレンド国）が含まれる。
パリ協定の採択
石炭火力の推進に歯止めをかけるもう1つの大きな国際合意が、12月のCOP21パリ会議による「パリ協定」の採択です。
重要なのは、気候変動を防ぐための明確な長期目標に合意したことです。「2度よりはるかに低い水準に気温上昇を抑制し、さらに1.5度に抑制することも目指す」とした合意は、IPCC（気候変動に関する政府間パネル）の科学に照らすと、2100年には温室効果ガス排出量をほぼゼロないしマイナスにすることが必要な水準であることがわかります。さらに、「可能な限り早く世界の排出量のピークを迎えその後速やかに削減していく」ことと、「今世紀下半期には人為的な排出と人為的な吸収を均衡させる」という排出削減の中長期目標は、化石燃料からの排出はほぼゼロにすることに向かって行動を引き上げていくことを約束したことに他なりません。当然、世界の排出を頭打ちにし、排出ゼロに向けて削減していくためには、新規の石炭火力の建設は国内でも国際でも直ちに見直さなければなりませんし、既存の火力発電の早期停止も視野に入れた政策が必要になります。
「パリ協定」に合意した日本は、これに整合しない石炭推進政策を見直すという自らの実施を通じて、温室効果ガス排出を削減する発電方法に切り替える必要に迫られています。[:en]In late 2015, two important agreements were made which could have a huge impact on the future of coal-related policies worldwide.
The OECD Agreement on limiting Export Credits
On November 17th, OECD’s (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) Working Party on Export Credits and Credit Guarantees (ECG) agreed to limit the export of coal-fired electricity generation projects. This agreement restricts the international exports of small- to medium-scale and low efficient coal technologies such as Sub-C (sub critical) and SC (super critical) technology. This is only a small move towards decarbonization because coal technologies exports will not be regulated in their entirety. However, it is a step in the right direction. This decision had been postponed for over a year with several countries such as Japan, South Korea, and Australia failing to back the agreement. The Japanese government had been unwavering in maintaining its opposition against any kind of restriction on the export of coal-fired power generation technologies. However, it has been getting increasingly more difficult for the nation to stand in the way of international agreements as domestic and international criticism against the coal promotion and the momentum gaining to COP21 in Paris. Even with limitation, it is very important that the OECD steps in to restrict coal technology exports. Moving towards a common target for climate change, it was also agreed that the OECD agreement in 2021 needs to be strengthened. It is clear this restriction will be tightened in the future.
An overview of the current regulations, which will come into effect as of January 2017, is in the following table (except in cases where procedures such as the EIA has been completed). These restrictions are covered under provisions in an Article from the Sector Understanding. The maximum repayment term for OECD export credits is set as follows.
Table: Maximum repayment terms as agreed upon by OECD
| Plant unit size (gross installed capacity) | Unit> 500 MW | Unit≥300 to 500 MW | Unit< 300 MW |
| Ultra-supercritical (i.e., with a
steam pressure >240 bar and ≥593°C steam temoerature), OR Emissions < 750 g CO2/kWh |
12 years*1 | 12 years*1 | 12 years*1 |
| Supercritical (i.e.. with a steam pressure >221 bar and >550°C
steam temperature), OR Emissions between 750 and 850 g CO2/kWh |
Ineligible | 10 years, and only in
IDA-eligible countries*1,2,3 |
10 years, and only in IDA-eligible countries*1,2,3 |
| Subcritical (i.e., with a steam
pressure < 221 bar), OR, Emissions > 850 g CO2/kWh |
Ineligible | Ineligible | 10 years, and only in IDA-eligible countries*1,3 |
*1. Where eligible for official support, an additional two years repayment term is allowed for project finance transactions.
*2. To help address energy poverty, ten year export credit support may be provided in all countries where the National Electrification Rate (as per the most current IEA World Energy Outlook Electricity Access database) is reported as 90% or below at the time the relevant completed application for export credit is received.*1. Where eligible for official support, an additional two years repayment term is allowed for project finance transactions.
*3. Export credit support may be provided in non-IDA-eligible countries for geographically isolated locations, where, (1) the less carbon-intensive alternatives are not viable and (2) the physical/geographic and existing grid features (including inability to connect to a larger grid) justify the proposed project’s efficiency category as the best available technology.
Translator’s Note: The IDA (International Development Association) is an international financial institution, which offers concessional loans and grants to the world’s poorest development countries by the World Bank. To be an IDA eligible countries, it needs to get through the application process to receive an export credit. There are two types of eligible countries: IDA-only countries which are eligible to access IDA resources, and Blend countries, which have access to IDA but are also able to borrow from IBRD.
Adoption of the Paris Agreement
Another important international agreement aimed at stopping coal-fired power generation projects is the Paris Agreement, which was adopted at COP21 in December 2015.
The take-home message from COP21 is that all countries involved clearly agreed to a long-term goal to prevent further climate change. The agreement set a goal of limiting the increase in global average temperature to well below 2℃ and pursuing efforts to limit rises in temperature to 1.5℃. To achieve this goal, according to the IPCC’s (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) scientific assessment, it requires zero or negative greenhouse gas emissions by 2100. In addition, medium- to long-term target indicates parties aims to “reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible and to undertake rapid reductions in accordance with best available science”, so as to “achieve a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gasses” in the second half of this century. This means committing to a goal of almost zero emission from fossil fuels. To level off global greenhouse emissions and move towards a zero emissions world, new development of coal-fired power plants, both domestic and abroad, should be reviewed immediately. At the same time, the necessary policies to promptly shutdown existing power plants should be in place.
The Japanese government joined this international agreement, therefore it will accordingly be required to review its policies which promote, which are not consistent with the direction of Paris Agreement. Japan must shift to alternative power sources, which enable bold greenhouse gas emissions reduction.[:]