A man shows a sign demanding Japan raise its emissions-reduction target to at least 62 percent in front of the economy ministry in Tokyo’s Kasumigaseki district on April 22. (Provided by Kinkyu Kiko)
Not good enough. That was the message to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga from young climate activists on the day he officially unveiled the government’s new target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
At 67 locations across 23 prefectures on April 22, activists held up placards arguing that what the government drafted falls short on adequately combating climate change.
Kazuto Nakano, 19, and Miu Terashima, 19, marched along a street in Kyoto brandishing a banner that states, “We are demanding the goal for slashing greenhouse gas emissions be dramatically raised.”
Activist Kimiko Hirata is still reeling from becoming the first Japanese woman to clinch the Goldman Environmental Prize, widely regarded as equivalent to the Nobel Prize, for her efforts to wean Japan off coal-fired power generation.
Hirata, 50, said modestly that she didn’t feel she merited such attention, but was hugely pleased that her work in environmental protection had shed light on the activities of Japanese nongovernmental organizations.
“That is what I am best pleased about.”
Hirata got interested in international issues when she took a college class given by Masako Hoshino, a pioneering activist working at an NGO.
Alarmed by the thought that “Mankind is driving the Earth crazy,” Hirata quit her job at a publishing company that puts out academic works and joined an NGO in the United States. She was just 26 years old.
Japan bank head says transition funds are critical for climate Sorry, but your browser needs Javascript to use this site. If you re not sure how to activate it, please refer to this site: https://www.enable-javascript.com/
Makoto Takashima, chairman of the Japanese Bankers Association, speaks during an interview in Tokyo last month. Takashima assumed the post of chairman on Thursday. | BLOOMBERG
Bloomberg Jul 1, 2021
Helping big polluters transform into greener enterprises is one of the biggest challenges facing Japanese banks, and simply cutting off funding for “brown” companies could jeopardize those transition efforts, said the head of the country’s banking group.
MUFJ board beats back climate resolution as activists falter in Japan Today 06:00 am JST Today | 06:37 am JST TOKYO
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group shareholders on Tuesday defeated a proposal for the bank to align its business with global targets on climate change, dealing a win for the board over investors pushing for more action on the environment.
Activist investors in Europe and the United States trying to halt climate change have successfully compelled companies to divest their fossil fuel holdings but the tactic has failed in Japan so far. This is the fourth time since 2020 a so-called shareholder climate resolution has been defeated after being brought before a Japanese listed company.
Aaron SheldrickTakashi Umekawa
2 minute read
People queue inside a branch of the Mitsubishi UFJ (MUFJ) Financial Group s bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ in Tokyo, Japan, February 1, 2016. REUTERS/Yuya Shino/File Photo
TOKYO, June 29 (Reuters) - Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (8306.T) shareholders on Tuesday defeated a proposal for the bank to align its business with global targets on climate change, dealing a win for the board over investors pushing for more action on the environment.
Activist investors in Europe and the United States trying to halt climate change have successfully compelled companies to divest their fossil fuel holdings but the tactic has failed in Japan so far. This is the fourth time since 2020 a so-called shareholder climate resolution has been defeated after being brought before a Japanese listed company.