英字新聞

The Yomiuri Shimbun(Sep. 9, 2009)
DPJ's goal of 25% cut in emissions too ambitious
ＣＯ２削減目標　２５％のハードルは高過ぎる（9月9日付・読売社説）

How will the nation's new government build a fair framework to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, making use of lessons learned from the Kyoto Protocol? The new administration's ability to handle this matter will come under close scrutiny.
　京都議定書の教訓を生かし、二酸化炭素（ＣＯ２）など温室効果ガスの排出を削減する公平な枠組みをどう築くのか。新政権の力量が厳しく問われることになる。

Democratic Party of Japan President Yukio Hatoyama said in a speech Monday that the nation's midterm target would be to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020. Hatoyama said he would announce the plan at the climate change summit at the United Nations later this month.
　民主党の鳩山代表が講演で、２０２０年までの温室効果ガス削減の中期目標について、「１９９０年比２５％削減」を言明した。近く国連の気候変動に関する首脳級会合で表明するという。

With a view to the post-Kyoto Protocol agreement for which the negotiation deadline is the end of this year, Hatoyama urged other major countries to agree on ambitious reduction targets. He said such an accord among all major countries will be a precondition for Japan's new pledge to the international community.
　鳩山代表は、今年末に交渉期限を迎える「ポスト京都議定書」を念頭に、「すべての主要国の参加による意欲的な目標の合意が、我が国の国際社会への約束の前提となる」と述べた。

We believe it was quite right for Hatoyama to have said that the nation would start tackling the 25 percent reduction target only after all the major greenhouse gas emitters, including the United States and China--the world's two largest greenhouse gas producers, make efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
　米国、中国の２大排出国など、主要排出国の削減努力があって初めて「２５％減」に取り組むとしたのは、当然のことといえる。

As for convincing the world's major countries to participate in efforts to address global warming, however, Hatoyama himself must press other countries to take action through summit meetings and other occasions. In particular, he has to persuade China, which has refused to shoulder any numerical emission-reduction obligations, in cooperation with other industrialized countries.
　そのためには、鳩山代表自身、首脳会談などで各国に強く働きかけていくべきだ。特に、削減の数値目標を課されるのを拒む中国に対しては、他の先進国と連携して説得することが求められる。

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Hatoyama overreaching

Above all, is the goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels an appropriate target? Hatoyama's proposal is expected to fuel debate across Japan. The proposal translates into a 30 percent emission cut compared with 2005 levels, far higher than the reduction goals set by the United States and the European Union of 14 percent and 13 percent, respectively.
　それにしても、「９０年比２５％減」は妥当なのか。今後、国内議論が活発化するだろう。０５年比に直すと３０％減の削減率に当たり、米国の１４％減、欧州連合（ＥＵ）の１３％減より大幅に高い。

Because the target is expected to require strict regulations on greenhouse gas emissions, the proposal has drawn strong objections from the industrial sector, mainly out of concerns that it would have an adverse effect on the economy.
　厳しい排出規制が必要になるため、産業界には「景気に悪影響を及ぼす」といった反発が強い。

According to a projection by the Cabinet of Prime Minister Taro Aso, the country's households will end up having to spend 360,000 yen more a year for the country to meet the 25-percent reduction goal.
「家計の負担が年３６万円増加」といった麻生内閣の試算もある。

Once Hatoyama announces the plan at the U.N. meeting, it is highly likely to become the minimum reduction goal to be imposed in an international accord that will take the place of the Kyoto Protocol. The new government is advised to avoid having the plan become Japan's international pledge at this stage, when no domestic agreement has yet been reached.
　国連で公言すれば、「ポスト京都」で日本に課せられる削減義務の最低線になる可能性が高い。国内合意がないまま、国際公約とすることは避けるべきだ。

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Effect difficult to gauge

What kind of impact will the plan have on people's livelihoods? Hatoyama must thoroughly explain this point to the public first.
　国民生活にどんな影響が生じるのか。鳩山代表はまず、それを丁寧に説明しなければなるまい。

In the case of the 25 percent reduction target, it remains unclear how much will be reduced through domestic efforts.
　２５％の削減のうち、「真水」といわれる国内削減分がどの程度なのかも、はっきりしない。

Currently, Japan has been finding it difficult to achieve the Kyoto Protocol goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 6 percent from 1990 levels by 2012. In order to make up for shortfalls to meet the target, the government plans to purchase emissions quotas from other countries. The amount of emissions quotas to be purchased is said to total about 200 billion yen.
　日本は、京都議定書で課せられた９０年比６％の削減ですら難しい状況にある。削減の不足分を補うため、海外から排出枠を購入して帳尻を合わせる方針だ。その額は約２０００億円とされる。

Such an ill-advised policy must not be repeated in the framework of the post-Kyoto Protocol agreement.
　「ポスト京都」では、こうした愚策を続けてはなるまい。

Hatoyama stated that industrialized countries should provide financial and technical assistance to developing countries striving to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
　鳩山代表は「削減に努める途上国に対して、先進国は資金的、技術的な支援を行うべきだ」と述べた。

The energy-saving technology that has been developed and fostered in Japan will serve as important tools to help the entire world cut greenhouse gas emissions.
日本が培ってきた省エネ技術は、世界全体の排出削減の有力な手段となり得るであろう。

What Japan has to do is not set a high reduction goal, but contribute by helping other countries slash emissions through realistic measures.
　高い削減目標より、現実的な施策で世界の排出削減に貢献する。それが日本がなすべきことだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 9, 2009)
（2009年9月9日01時13分 読売新聞）