The time is right for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government to assume an even greater global leadership role on climate change as it has done successfully for regional trade liberalization. Japan has a window of opportunity to lead by demonstrating how to decouple economic and emissions growth in the energy and transportation sectors, both domestically and internationally, while providing expanded economic opportunities and energy access.
Last year, extreme weather events cost the world around $215 billion. The Global Carbon Project announced that global carbon emissions hit an all-time high in 2018, rising 2.7 percent over 2017. The United Nations Environment Program in its Emission Gap Report stated, "Now more than ever, unprecedented and urgent action is required by all nations. The assessment of actions by the G20 countries indicates that this is yet to happen."
Yet, despite these and other ominous findings, COP24, the United Nations climate conference in Katowice, Poland, last December, made little progress beyond agreeing to rules on how to measure and report on emissions cutting measures, and a melange of specific company, civil society and country announcements. Rumblings of discontent on the impact of climate measures on economic growth are growing in France, Brazil and elsewhere. The will to undertake aggressive actions appears to be diminishing. Why? Many countries, including Japan and the United States, have yet to sufficiently balance the needs of economic growth with those of environmental sustainability.