Japan Revises Down Emission Figures Cut by Renewables, Nuclear

(Bloomberg) -- Japan revised lower its latest greenhouse gas emissions figures, which it had already reported as the least since records began in 1990.

Emissions fell 3.9% from a year earlier, data Tuesday from the environment ministry showed, a bigger drop than the 3.6% estimate in November. The figures, for the year through March 2019, are the latest available.

The decline, which is the biggest since fiscal 2009-10, was mainly due to an expansion of solar and wind power, as well as restarts of nuclear reactors suspended after the Fukushima disaster, the ministry said. Mild weather and efficiency gains also contributed.

Japan, one of the world’s biggest polluters, aims for emissions in 2030 to be 26% below 2013 levels, part of its commitments under the Paris climate accords. Pressure has mounted to set more aggressive targets amid warnings that governments aren’t doing enough to keep global temperature increases capped at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), a level of warming that’s seen avoiding some of the most destructive results of climate change.

Japan’s greenhouse gas output fell for a fifth year to 1.240 billion tons, according to the revised data, slightly less than the 1.244 billion estimated in November. Emissions were down 12% from the 2013-14 fiscal year, the ministry said.

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