Energy News  
ENERGY NEWS
Tokyo launches Asia's first carbon emissions trade scheme

by Staff Writers
Tokyo (AFP) April 1, 2010
The city of Tokyo on Thursday launched Asia's first scheme to trade carbon credits, aiming to lead Japan in the battle against greenhouse gas emissions blamed for climate change.

The mega-city of 13 million mandated that the 1,400 top-polluting factories and office buildings reduce emissions, with the aim of slashing Tokyo's total output of carbon dioxide by 25 percent from 2000 levels by 2020.

"We want to be a model for the Japanese government," Yuki Arata, the director for emissions trading at the Tokyo metropolitan government's environment bureau, told AFP.

Japan, Asia's biggest economy, has pledged to cut greenhouse emissions by 25 percent by 2020 from 1990 levels, provided other major emitters also make sharp reductions, one of the most ambitious targets of any industrialised country.

In Tokyo, in the shorter term, the businesses will have to cut carbon dioxide emissions by six percent during the 2010-2014 period compared to their average emissions of recent years.

Under the scheme starting in 2011, companies that cannot meet the target will have to buy "right-to-pollute" credits from those that can, or will face fines and the bad publicity of having their names published.

To meet their targets, businesses can cut emissions through greater energy efficiency and by using renewable energy sources.

Tokyo's Governor Shintaro Ishihara, known for his strong nationalist and ecological ideas, led the city's unsuccessful bid to host a green 2016 Olympic Games, which he promised "would save planet Earth".

Rio de Janeiro beat Tokyo, Chicago and Madrid to host the Games.



Share This Article With Planet Earth
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit
YahooMyWebYahooMyWeb GoogleGoogle FacebookFacebook



Related Links




Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


ENERGY NEWS
Russian President Urges Caps For Utility Prices
Moscow, Russia (RIA Novosti) Mar 31, 2010
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Saturday demanded the introduction of price ceilings for utility tariffs. He told Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak to freeze the soaring utility prices and fire officials responsible for unjustified tariff hikes. Kozak said that following a recent check, which had revealed massive violations, housing maintenance and utility tariffs were lowered ... read more







The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement