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I have a variety of hats as shown
below. – However, I tend to consider that
they are all linked to each other at their basis
– improvement of quality of life, especially
in developing countries, and pursuit of a low carbon
society. Using my experience I will try to be of
use for those who need me.
1 IPCC Inventory work
Being a Co-chair of the IPCC Inventory
Programme (NGGIP), I have been studying, thinking
and trying to contribute to the work of preparation
and improvement of universal GHG inventory methodologies.
This work also includes those for assisting inventory
work of developing countries. (I am the longest-serving
member of the UNFCCC CGE, Consultative Group of
Experts of Non-Annex I National Communications and
Co-ordinator of its inventory team, though CGE work
has been suspended for more two years in the absence
of
agreements among UNFCCC Parties.)
In my personal view, developing countries inventory
work will contribute not only to the countries’
efforts in climate mitigation but also to resourceefficient
economic development though which their sustainable
development can be pursued.
The GHG Inventory work has accomplished
much, including the IPCC 2006 GHG Inventory Guidelines.
However, the use of these Guidelines are yet to
be considered by the UNFCCC, and this will have
to go through rather complicated debate in the context
of future UNFCCC regime, including those related
to the “Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and
Degradation in Developing Countries” (REDD). I
have been doing lectures at JICA training courses
on Non-Annex I National Communications.
2 IPCC in general
Since 1999, I have been involved
in the work of the IPCC mainly as a Co-chair of
its NGGIP. I have been an IPCC Bureau member, and
has been re-elected so till 2014 (only if my brain
is still useful till then!). In addition to the
work of the NGGIP, I participated in the work of
the IPCC Special Report on CO2 Capture and Storage
(CCS), as its Review Editor. I was named Review
Editor for a new IPCC Special Report on Renewable
Energy, the work of which is
about to start from January 2009.
I will further endeavour to fulfil more on the IPCC
work as the Bureau member.
3 CDM and JI
Since 2000, I have been involved
in the MOE’s expert group on feasibility studies
of CDM and JI. In this work, I have grown up myself
as the UNFCCC’s CDM/JI system has been gradually
established. In my personal view, CDM has nearly
completed its institutional system for the first
Commitment Period, but there are a number of questions
still pending in the implementation. Especially
for the subsequent Commitment Period, it needs improvement
so that it can actually contribute to sustainable
development (SD) of developing countries.
Needless to say, CDM methods have
a lot to do with estimation of emissions –
or GHG emission guidelines.
Personally, I consider that a major
problem of the current CDM/JI scheme is that they
only account carbon credit. Co-benefits that may
be generated through CDM are not accounted nor rewarded.
This has led to generate many high-credit CDM projects,
the SD contribution of which are dubious. On the
other hands, those CDM projects that have a lot
of potential contribution to sustainable development
or long-term technology transfer have been
considered financially non-viable.
4 Carbon offsets
Since 2007, I have been involved
in the work of the “Carbon Offset New Year Postcard”
of the Japan-Post Corporation. This is one of the
major carbon offset initiatives in Japan. I have
been requested to be on the expert group of the
MOE for the work of voluntary emission reduction
work, launched in December 2008.
5 Adaptation
Climate change has started and its
impacts have been evident. For the future a certain
level of warming will not be inevitable, and thus
all countries will have to institute their adaptation actions.
I was very fortunate in my involvement of the MOE’s
work on “Wise Adaptation”, where I contributed
with my inputs in linking climate-adaptation and
national development, including disaster prevention.
Wise integrated consideration and efficient financing
to both of them is prerequisite in my view.
6 Co-benefits
Not only in the case of CDM (above
mentioned), but also in a wider context of national development
actions and climate actions should be integrated
so that climate challenges could be converted to
an opportunity to achieve resource-efficient long-term
development and, in a longer term, towards a low
carbon society, which is an absolute need for the
global community. Since 2007, I have been fortunately
involved in the MOE work of “Co-benefits” between
climate change and pollution control. I personally
believe that the work should be
further developed to cover similar
discussions on climate actions and national development
for the future, and contribute to the consideration
of future ODA policies. National development, a
prerequisite for developing countries and their
poor people, should take advantage of climate actions,
where significant policy attention, technology and
funds are being allocated.
7 Technology transfer
From late 2004 to late 2008 I was
member of the UNFCCC Expert Group on Technology
Transfer (EGTT), where my contribution was drawn
from especially those from my work in the IPCC,
CDM/JI and the UNFCCC CGE. In this period, EGTT’s
major work was on national technology assessment
and an innovative financing of technology transfer
(utilisation of hitherto unrelated to climate change
as a financial resource for climate actions.) I
expressed my personal views (not necessarily those
of the Government of Japan), which was appreciated
within the EGTT. However, as EGTT is becoming more
a Parties’ negotiation forum, I felt my weakness
at the same time. Thus, I did not insist on my continued
membership. However, I still continue as a contributer
for their work on Indicators of technology transfer.
I have been doing lectures at JICA training courses
on technology transfer.
8 Global Environmental Facility
Early 2007 participated in a Climate
Technical Advisory Group for the implementation
of the 4th Replenishment of the GEF, which was compose
of 5 members, which was very exciting experience.
There are a lot of discussions, both positive and
critical, on the operation of the GEF. The GEF is
a small international scheme in contrast to the
global international funding needs, but it is a
significant funding scheme as a dedicated one for
global environmental
actions. Discussions at the TAG
contained a wide variety of issues, including counterpart
funding requirements, its mobilisation functions,
funding for the UNFCCC national communications,
GEF Resource Allocation Framework (RAF), and so
fourth. Towards the 5th Replenishment, similar advisory
mechanism is being organised, but apparently I will
not be participating therein.
9 Low carbon society
I had not been involved in this
important field. In G8 summit meetings and many
other forums a target of 50% by 2050 has been mentioned,
and some researchers talk of 70%. This
level of GHG emission can be reached only in a society
where essentially most of energy consumption, especially
transport will have to be non-carbon dependent.
Much of carbon materials will use biogenic carbon,
when oil and natural gas exploitable at reasonable
costs
will be largely used up. This might
be a dream, but the world would need it. Thus, I
was very pleased and felt honoured when I was invited
as a co-chair of a segment of the UK-Japan cohosted
international workshop on low carbon society in
February 2008. I was no expert on low-carbon society,
but I felt that those concepts and scientific information
must be shared with, and appreciated by, developing
countries – without those countries, a low
carbon society will not been achievable. My contribution
to the workshop must have been negligible
but I feel that I added something
important.
10 OECD Group on Sustainable Development
Since 2001, I have been participating
in the OECD work on Sustainable Development, for
which I got a position of the Special Advisor for
the Environment Minister, Japan. Currently it holds
an Annual Meeting of Sustainable Development Experts
(AMSDE), the most recent one was held in October
2008. The OECD’s work on sustainable development
is being carried out through its many committees,
in particular the Environment Policy Committee
(EPOC), and the Development Assistance Committee
(DAC). In my personal view, AMSDE is not only a
very useful institution for the coordination and
promotion of the OECD-wide consolidated activities
on sustainable but also a symbol of the OECD, a
forum of developed countries, expressing the OECD’s
initiatives for the global community, especially
in terms of the UN Commission for Sustainable Development.
The work still goes on.
11 Chemicals
Though somewhat un-related to climate
issues, I participated in MOE’s international work,
especially those of the Strategic Actions of International
Chemicals Management (SAICM) and a tripartite (China-Korea-Japan)
work on chemicals management, as an advisor to the
related IGES work. (This was due to my earlier involvement
in the OECD work on Chemicals and my work as Hazardous
Chemicals Programme Coordinator of the MOE in my
good old
days) – thus I am a concrete
example of the 3R (Reused, Recycled Retiree!). Though
this work is on and off these days, I will continue
this advisory work for the IGES.
12 Water
Likewise I was involved in the 3rd
World Water Forum (February 2004) as member of Directors
of the Japan Water Forum, when I was member of the
Implementation Committee, chaired by the late Prime
Minister Hashimoto. Though my Director post was
succeeded by an ex-MOE officer from 2007, I continued
my membership as an individual member of the Japan
Water Forum (I am its Number 2 member – the
Number one member was the late PM
Hashimoto). My continued interest
in water is due again to my good old experience
of the MOE’s Water Pollution Control Director and
Deputy Director-General of the Water Bureau (in
part, responsible for ground subsidence –
regulation of ground water withdrawal.)
13 At IGES
Though I am only a part-term worker
there, I am trying to be of use for IGES, by including
information dissemination and interlinkages. “References”
on IGES Server and frequent information mails are
such examples I am the photographer and the manager
of the IGES Photo Album
14 At universities
Currently I am lecturer for the
Osaka University, the Gakushuin University, and
the Sophia University, where I am trying to talk
about climate and national development. Especially
I am trying to widen the student views – climate
and its interlinkages with development.
15 At UNEP
From 1989 through 1998, I worked
for the Secretariat of the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, where I fulfilled 7
different positions, starting from Coordinator of
Support Measures (covering Environmental Law Unit,
Education and Training Unit, and Documentation and
Library Centre), Deputy Director for Inter-Agency
Affairs, and to the Assistant Executive Director
for Environmental Assessment and Early Warning.
Most exciting
experience in this period was actually
the Presidency of the UNEP Staff Association, in
the period of UNEP’s dire financial difficulties.
A lot of delights and sadness in this period!
16 My association with developing
countries
I tend to believe that my carrier
course was drastically re-shaped – from a
domestic Government officer at the Labour Ministry
through to an international worker of today - by
my experiences while I was the Second Secretary
for Environment and Technical Assistance at the
Japanese Embassy in Nairobi. Through those 3 years,
my liaison work with the new UNEP was exciting.
But I would say more I learnt through my work for
the development of the 3 countries, Kenya, Malawi
and Uganda through the Japanese technical assistance
programmes. I shared all sorts of
delights and difficulties not only those Government
officers, but more with the Japanese technical experts
and young volunteers. Most unforgettable experiences
were through my friendship with those volunteers,
which made up my confidence in their young eager
dedicated minds in the fields. My witnessing the
poor became a decisive factor in my later life.
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