[Editorial] Japan Becomes Climate Industry Leader

The G8 summit held in Japan has ended without producing any tangible results. The world’s richest eight countries could not reach a consensus on the greenhouse gas reduction, the main agenda of this year’s summit, and failed to present any action plans. However, Japan was not disappointed at all. This is because the world’s second largest economy has made its presence felt as leader of the future climate industry by boasting its greenhouse gas-reducing technology.

Beginning this year, Japan, along with other advanced nations, started cutting back on greenhouse gas emissions. Though this move will undoubtedly give a huge burden on industries and businesses, and deal a blow on their growth potential, Japan has never been hesitant. Rather, the country has made thorough preparations for transition to a “low-carbon society,” putting efforts on developing energy-reducing technology and devising related laws and regulations. These efforts were well demonstrated in this year’s G8 summit. Calling for both developed and developing countries to further curtail greenhouse gas emissions, it sent clear messages that the world should adopt its advanced technology.

Japan has been a role model for the world on how the government and industries should collaborate in developing new technologies. By announcing the imminent release of a new hybrid car with solar energy-utilizing air conditioners, Toyota Motors, the world leader in hybrid car production, has showed that it is way ahead of other competitors in the world. When the Keidanren, Japan’s business association, held in April another G8 summit attended by world business leaders, it stressed, “If each country uses Japan’s energy reduction technology in thermal power generation and steel industries, they can achieve an annual greenhouse gas reduction of 2 billion tons, the equivalent Japan produces annually.”

When announcing the “Fukuda Vision” last month, aiming at curtailing greenhouse gases in half by 2050, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda declared that Japan will bring in a greenhouse gas reduction revolution. Instead of seeking to shirk the responsibility of greenhouse gas reduction like the United States, Japan has turned it into an opportunity to develop new technology and create businesses. Now the world should learn from Japan when it comes to the climate industry.

When President Lee Myung-bak was invited to the outreach session of the G8 summit, he also tried to take the initiative in the promising industry by suggesting the establishment of "carbon credit" system under which developing countries are given commercial incentives in proportion to the amount of greenhouse gas reduction. To realize President Lee’s ambition to make Korea a global “early mover” in tackling climate change and developing energy-related industries, the government must make every effort in preparation and implementation, as Japan did.

By making a head start in the climate industry, Japan once again has brought home the fact that only well-prepared ones, be it an individual or a country, will prevail at last. It’s truly lamentable that, here in Korea, all responsible parties, including the government, the political circle, businesses, workers and civic organizations, who should take the lead in following in Japan’s footsteps, are still enmeshed in the beef controversy.