The Ministry of the Environment will establish a system to qualify “decarbonization advisors” around this summer. The government will certify existing qualification tests conducted by the private sector and set three grades according to the level of specialist knowledge. The plan is intended to identify people with expertise and make it easy for smaller firms to work on decarbonization.  ….Read more

TOKYO — In a move that has apparently disappointed some member states, Japan is seeking a commitment by the Group of Seven (G-7) major industrial nations to cut carbon dioxide emissions from cars by 50% from 2000 levels by 2035, the Mainichi Shimbun has learned.   As this year’s G-7 president, the Japanese government has incorporated the target into a….Read more

According to NHK, an Environment Ministry panel on PFAS contamination has learned that the prefectural authorities were unable to identify the source of contamination in almost all cases where high levels of the toxic chemicals were detected in samples of river water or groundwater nationwide. In the 81 instances in which higher than normal levels of PFAS were detected in….Read more

Okinawa Times published two articles written by freelance reporter Jon Mitchell on the U.S.-Japan joint statement issued last September following a meeting between EPA  Administrator Regan and Environment Minister Nishimura in Tokyo, alleging that a reference to PFAS and PCB contamination around U.S. installations in the island prefecture was deleted from the document following consultations between MOFA and the U.S.….Read more

If global warming is left unaddressed, natural disasters such as heavy rains and droughts will occur more frequently, greatly affecting ecosystems. Each country must urgently take serious action.   The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released the Synthesis Report of the Sixth Assessment Report, which compiled the latest findings on global warming.   The IPCC has….Read more

SHIMPEI NAKAMURA, Nikkei staff writer   OSAKA — Japanese cable maker Furukawa Electric will invest up to 100 billion yen ($765 million) to boost production of underwater electric cables, with an eye on Japan’s push to bolster renewable energy infrastructure, Nikkei has learned.   The ability to transmit power across regions is key to making the most out of renewable energy sources like….Read more

Okinawa Times wrote that the Environmental Protection Agency proposed last week its first-ever national standard for PFAS in drinking water. EPA Administrator Regan said on March 14: “This action has the potential to prevent tens of thousands of PFAS-related illnesses.” The paper wrote that while some in the United States welcomed the proposal in view of public health concerns, the….Read more

By Asato Yosuke   TOKYO – Minister of Foreign Affairs Hayashi Yoshimasa noted at a Diet committee meeting held on March 16 that the issue of PFAS does not meet conditions for on-site surveys stipulated in the Agreement to Supplement the Japan-U.S. SOFA on Environmental Stewardship, which allows the conducting of on-site surveys “if an incident that affects the environment….Read more

Saturday’s Ryukyu Shimpo wrote that Governor Tamaki held a meeting with researchers at the Congressional Research Service (CRS) in Washington on March 9. Concerning the concentration of U.S. military facilities in Okinawa, Tamaki called on the U.S. side to reduce the base-hosting burden on Okinawa in a tangible manner by drawing up a new roadmap for consolidating and downsizing U.S.….Read more