Japan’s greenhouse gas emissions dropped 1.2 per cent to an eight-year low in the financial year ended March 31, 2018, government figures showed on Tuesday, due to an increased use of renewable energy and higher utilisation of nuclear plants.
Emissions in the 2017 financial year declined for a fourth straight year to 1.292 billion metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent from 1.308 billion tonnes in the previous year, hitting their lowest since 2009, according to revised data released by the environment ministry.
Japan, the world’s fifth-biggest carbon emitter, has set a target to cut its emissions by 26 per cent from 2013 levels to 1.042 billion tonnes by 2030. The latest figure represents an 8.4 per cent reduction from 2013 levels, data showed.