TOKYO: Japan's greenhouse gas emissions dropped 5.1 per cent to a record low in the 2020 financial year that ended March 2021, government figures showed on Friday , as energy demand and industry activities slowed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In April, the world's fifth-biggest carbon emitter raised its climate goal, pledging to trim emissions by 46 per cent, instead of it previous target of 26 per cent, on 2013 levels to 0.76 billion tonnes by 2030. The latest figure represents a reduction of 18.4 per cent from 2013 levels. "We need to move forward with various measures at a much faster pace to achieve 46 per cent," he said.
Only eight reactors are operating now while many others are still going through a re-licencing process under the stricter safety standards imposed after the Fukushima disaster.