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Development Assistance and Japan's Climate Change Diplomacy: Priorities and Future Options
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Abstract
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The priorities and future options for Japan's climate change diplomacy are examined by Jusen Asuka-Zhang in Chapter 8. Asuka-Zhang describes the key elements of Japan's environmental diplomacy in the field of climate change. One of these key elements is the use of official assistance to developing countries in the areas of environmental protection and energy efficiency. This assistance promotes Japan's goals of improving environmental conservation and raising its stature in the international community (among other goals). The chapter looks at the roles of key governmental agencies involved in Japan's environmental diplomacy, notably the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of the Environment. Asuka-Zhang briefly analyzes Japan's negotiating position at COP3 by focusing on the country's unique position on the issue of new funds for the CDM. With this background in mind, the chapter analyzes future options for the Japanese government, including a recommendation to set up new institutions for official development assistance, particularly an Asian carbon fund and a debt-carbon swap.
Asuka-Zhang maintains that for Japan to increase its leverage in the climate regime, there will have to be cooperative efforts between relevant domestic actors (e.g., bureaucrats, politicians, corporate executives, engineers, academic experts in environmental economy, the public, nongovernmental organizations). They will have to target the realization of financial and technological transfers to developing countries that create "win-win-win situations" for Japan, recipients of its assistance, and the global environment. Japan sought to do this by hosting the Kyoto conference and by increasing its environmental aid. However, Japan's position on some climate change issues has not been consistent from the perspective of environmental integrity. Japan also has no clear strategy for carbon-credit acquisitions from Asian countries. Therefore, to realize the "win-win-win situation" in Asia with proper use of public funds and without harming environmental integrity, while also promoting technology transfer, Asuka-Zhang considers several policy options. These include increasing funds for environmental assistance and making their provision more flexible. Japan could also benefit from combining construction of a common decision-making scheme for its international environmental policy with various other diplomatic and economic issues, such as energy and environmental security. Climate change is an issue that will largely affect Japan's industrial structure (e.g., the tax system and its domestic emission trading scheme) and its society overall (e.g., consumption patterns). Thus a strategic governmental response, which links international and domestic mechanisms, will, in Asuka-Zhang's view, be essential if Japan is to have a continuing constructive role in international efforts to address climate change.
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