| Hatoyama discusses environment with GLOBE International President |
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On March 6, DPJ Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama met with the President of GLOBE (Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment) International, the Rt. Hon. Elliot Morley MP (British Prime Minister Tony Blair's Special Representative at the Gleneagles Dialogue), and exchanged opinions on environmental issues.
Hatoyama expressed concern that while the UK is actively setting its own CO2 emissions reduction targets, it is not even certain whether Japan will be able to meet the targets set out in the Kyoto Protocol by the deadline of 2010, and said that Japan should set targets higher than those in the Kyoto Protocol and steer a course toward resolving the issue of global warming. Furthermore, he stressed that it was necessary to promote emissions rights trading and to consider implementing an environment tax.
In particular, with regard to an environment tax, Hatoyama said that the DPJ had called for its implementation in previous manifestos, and explained that the party intended to produce a concrete policy proposal with a view to the forthcoming House of Councillors election.
Morley asked whether the idea of emissions rights acquisition would be supported by Japanese industry, explaining that when the concept was proposed in the UK it was opposed by industry, but once its introduction had been decided, it was speedily adopted by companies. He also said that in the EU as a whole, each country had set its own caps, but an anti-global warming scheme had been implemented [overall].
DPJ attendees at the meeting made various suggestions, including having the international community level a "forest tax" of 10% on emissions rights trading and pooling the tax revenue to fund forestry projects; spreading the introduction of volunteer tree doctors; and stressing the importance of environmental preservation in schools. Morley said that GLOBE International was planning to hold an international conference in Japan and called for the DPJ's active participation.
The meeting was also attended by former DPJ Vice President, member of the House of Councillors Wakako Hironaka (Vice President of GLOBE Japan), Next Minister of the Environment Yoshinori Suematsu and Director General of the International Department Tetsundo Iwakuni.
(07/03/06) |
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