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In the fiscal year 2023, the total emissions of greenhouse gases in Japan amounted to approximately *** billion tons of CO₂ equivalent. Carbon dioxide emissions accounted for over ** percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions. 

Main causes for greenhouse gas emissions

In the same year, Japan was one of the countries that generated the most carbon dioxide emissions, with its energy conversion sector causing most of the carbon dioxide emissions. After the nuclear disaster in Fukushima in 2011, nuclear energy was replaced by fossil fuels, resulting in increased emissions shortly after the disaster. Accounting for almost 70 percent in recent years, coal and natural gas were the energy sources with the largest share of electricity production. Furthermore, the industry sector represented one of the main air polluting sectors as it had the largest final energy consumption. Most emissions arose here likely due to the high electricity consumption needed for production.

Japan's measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

In 2020, former prime minister Suga Yoshihide announced that Japan aimed to be emission-free by 2050 and emphasized the importance of restructuring the energy sector to achieve this. The country currently focuses on replacing fossil fuels with nuclear and renewable energy sources. In recent years, figures indicated a decline in the total greenhouse gas emissions, as the carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel and industrial purposes decreased. Nevertheless, there was international criticism that Japan's measures are not sufficient to counteract climate change, and that the country is unlikely to eliminate all greenhouse gases by 2050.