Kyoto Protocol and its Implementation

Following the Marrakech Accord in November that set rules for implementing the Kyoto Protocol, the landmark U.N. treaty on global warming is expected to take effect with the Rio plus 10 meeting in the summer of 2002.

Japan is now obliged to come up with concrete measures that assure the fulfillment of its pledged target for cutting carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving the reduction goal, however, will require considerable effort and it could have negative effects on the nation's economy. Thus, policy measures must be both appropriate and comprehensive, and they must be supported by firm philosophical foundation.

The ratification of the Kyoto Protocol should mark a tangible step in the global initiatives to curb greenhouse gas emissions, a task which must be undertaken for many years to come. In the upcoming policy symposium, we will invite researchers and business leaders from Japan and abroad to discuss ideas as to what we can do to achieve that end.