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Not green enough: as G20 host, Japan faces uncomfortable criticism of its environmental record
- Campaigners have criticised Japan for moving too slowly on reducing plastic consumption
- Japan also faces growing scrutiny on climate change issues because of its continued use of coal
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G20 host Japan hopes world leaders will endorse a deal on marine plastic waste and find common ground on climate change, but its own environmental record is under increasing scrutiny.
Activists say Japan has fallen behind on reducing plastic consumption and is caving to US pressure to water down language on climate change to achieve a unanimous statement on the issue.
Japan, chair of this week’s Group of 20 meeting in Osaka, has already secured agreement from environment ministers on a marine plastic waste deal that will be endorsed this week.
The deal commits G20 members to reducing plastic waste but includes few details on how that will be achieved, proposing only voluntary steps and yearly progress reports.
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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said last month the issue would be “one of the most important themes of the G20”, adding that Japan “hopes to play a leadership role”.
But while campaigners say the agreement – the first on the issue bringing together rich and developing nations – is a “first step”, they argue it should be more ambitious.
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“Legally binding international rules with clear timelines and goals” are needed, said Yukihiro Misawa, plastic policy manager of environmental group WWF Japan.
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