NET ZERO GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS - AN ANNOUNCEMENT MADE AT COP27 OF UNFCCC

 CLIMATE SUMMIT IN EGYPT TO TACKLE THE GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

"Net Zero CO2 Emissions" Condition set by the United Nations COP27

A group of UN experts compiled recommendations on the conditions under which companies and local governments set a target of "net zero" greenhouse gas emissions. Developed countries are calling for concrete advances in eliminating fossil fuels, such as abolishing coal-fired power generation by 2030. Although it is not enforceable, it may be used to select investment destinations, which may affect the future of decarbonized money around the world.

The announcement was made at the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

The expert group was launched by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in March this year. The aim is to prevent declarations that do not involve actual conditions and "green washes" that pretend to be environmentally friendly, and to promote emission reductions.

According to the recommendations, emission reduction targets for up to 25 years should be set first, and then targets should be set at least every five years, such as 30 or 35 years. It is also a requirement to set specific targets for the phase-out of fossil fuel projects, and with regard to coal-fired power generation, companies in developed countries will stop new construction and investment and financing for up to 30 years, and other countries will stop abolishing it by 40 years. As for oil and natural gas, he said, the government should aim to end investment and financing for new developments. We call on local governments not to allow the construction of new power generation facilities using fossil fuels.

It was also a requirement that the government not purchase cheap emission credits and consider them to have "reduced" emissions without drastically reducing them themselves, or not to lobby the government to strengthen its measures against global warming. Noting that carbon sinks are being lost due to deforestation caused by agriculture and other sources, he also called on financial institutions to remove agriculture-related businesses that lead to deforestation from their investments and loans by 25 years.

CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES 27TH SESSION HAPPENING IN THE EGYPT

The number of companies and local governments declaring that they will achieve net zero emissions by 50 years is increasing around the world, but the content of the declaration and specific measures vary from organization to organization, and there is no sign that global emissions will start to decline. "False 'net zero' declarations to hide fossil fuel expansion should be condemned," Guterres said. He called on companies and local governments to review their declarations and plans in line with the published recommendations.

According to the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, more than 200 companies in Japan, in addition to 797 municipalities such as Tokyo and Yokohama City, have declared net zero by 50 years.

Kaori Miyake, head of the ESG Solution Planning and Promotion Department of SuMi TRUST Bank, a member of the expert group, said, "While it is encouraging that more companies are declaring net-zero targets by 50 years in Japan, the lack of clear definitions and standards has hindered efforts to take action.

Main conditions required for a "net zero" declaration

According to a report by the United Nations Group of Experts:

• Set interim emission reduction targets every five years (e.g. 2025, 30 years)
• The goal is to meet the path of "halving the total number of times by 30 years and zero by 50 years worldwide.
• Do not consider that you have "reduced" by purchasing cheap emission credits without significantly reducing them yourself.
• Developed countries will abolish coal-fired power generation by 30 years and other countries by 40 years.
• Do not lobby the government to strengthen global warming countermeasures.
• Publish emissions and progress status annually.

Hokkaido University graduate students study the causes of lake water pollution in Africa to protect water resources

In Africa, where there are many countries that are vulnerable to the effects of global warming, we want to help protect water resources. Students at Hokkaido University are conducting research on Africa's largest man-made lake, which is indispensable for local life, to find the causes of water level decline and water pollution. He has introduced his research at an international conference on climate change held in Egypt and has disseminated information about the water crisis to the world.

The research is led by Gen Takahashi (23), a second-year master's student in the laboratory of Associate Professor Yoshitaka Uchida (environmental science). At the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, posters summarizing research results are displayed and opinions are exchanged with participants.

His research focuses on Lake Kariba on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is an artificial lake created by the construction of a dam for hydroelectric power generation, and its area is said to be about 8 times (about 5,400 square kilometers) of Lake Biwa (Shiga Prefecture).

The water from Lake Kariba is not only used for electricity generation, but also supports local fisheries and agriculture. In recent years, there has been a series of low rainfalls, which have been pointed out as the effects of climate change, and the water level has dropped, resulting in frequent large-scale power outages. Water quality is also deteriorating, and the catch of capita, a small fish that is often eaten locally, is decreasing.

A SATELLITE IMAGE FROM NASA OBSERVATORY SHOWING THE FALLING WATER LEVEL IN LAKE KARIBA OF AFRICA

However, data on water quantity and quality were insufficient, and the causes of deterioration of water quality and necessary countermeasures were not sufficiently investigated. Since Associate Professor Uchida was conducting research on lead contamination in Zambia, Hokkaido University and the University of Zambia began joint research on Lake Kariba in 2021.

Using satellite imagery and topographic data as clues, the team explored changes in the land around the lake and sediment inflow routes that could lead to water pollution and low water levels. This summer, I went to the site to collect aquatic plants and the surrounding soil.

As a result of the analysis, it was found that the forest on the Zambian side of Lake Kariba was rapidly decreasing from 01~20 years. "In Zambia, about 80% of people use charcoal as fuel, and deforestation may have progressed to produce it," says Takahashi. The steep slopes that have become wastelands and fields due to deforestation appear to have increased sediment runoff into the river leading to the lake.

Global warming is expected to cause adverse effects such as water shortages and changes in water quality around the world, and Egypt, which holds the COP27 presidency, has set water resources as one of its important themes. Yu Hirata, 24, a first-year master's student at Hokkaido University Graduate School of the team, emphatically stated, "Water resource problems can occur not only in Zambia but also in other countries, and I would like to convey that this is an issue that should not be addressed individually."