|
|
The Asahi Glass Foundation Announces Results of the 16th Annual
"Questionnaire on Environmental Problems
and the Survival of Humankind - Environmental Doomsday Clock" |
|
TOKYO, JAPAN, Oct. 1 -/E-Wire/--
--
|
* The average time on the Environmental Doomsday Clock advanced to its furthest point since the surveystarted in 1992, placing the time past 9:30 for the first time.
|
* Seventy percent of respondents pointed to global warming as the reason for their response on theEnvironmental Doomsday Clock.
|
* When considering a post-2012 regulatory framework, half of the respondents stated, "a new structure willbe in place where in addition to developed countries including the United States and Australia, majordeveloping countries will participate."
|
* As a long-term global warming strategy, more than 90 percent of respondents stated the need to reducegreenhouse gas emissions by more than 50 percent from current levels.
|
The Asahi Glass Foundation (Chairman: Hiromichi Seya) has conducted surveys with environmental experts around the world each year since 1992. This year, the Foundation received 715 responses from 96 countries; the following are the major findings of the survey. (Please refer to the attached appendix for details on the survey and this year's results.)
|
1. Awareness of the Crisis Facing Human Survival—The Environmental Doomsday Clock:
|
* The average time for all respondents was 9:31. This represents a 14-minute advancement from last year and the highest sense of crisis since the survey started.
|
* In Japan, the average time was 9:34, an advancement of 19 minutes from last year.
|
|
|
Fig. 1 Environmental Doomsday Clock
|
|
|
* The needle advanced in all regions except for the Middle East and Asia. The overseas time was 9:28, a 9-minute advancement from last year.
|
|
|
Fig. 2 Environmental Doomsday Clock – by Region
|
|
|
|
* When marking the doomsday clock, "global warming" was the main environmental condition of concern cited most frequently by respondents overall.
|
* Compared to last year's survey, "global warming" rose by six points in Japan, and eight points overseas, and seven points overall.
|
|
|
Fig.3 Items considered in deciding the time - Increase from last year(2007-2006)
|
|
* Whereas the percentage of respondents who selected "global warming" reached 80 percent in developed regions (Japan, Western Europe, United States & Canada, Asian Four), the rate only reached 60 percent in developing regions (Latin America, Africa, Rest of Asia).
|
|
|
Table 1 Items considered in deciding the time
|
|
|
2. Global Warming:
|
* In considering the post-2012 regulatory framework, half of the respondents, both from Japan and overall, stated, "a new structure will be in place where in addition to developed countries including the United States and Australia, major developing countries will participate."
|
![Fig[1].jpg](/images/Media_Upload/image/Fig[1].jpg)
|
|
Fig.4 Post-2012 Regulatory Framework
|
|
* While 12 percent of respondents overall selected "There will be a new regulatory framework in which all of the countries of the world will participate," only 5 percent of Japanese respondents made this selection.
|
Consideration for Discrepancies between Developed and Developing Countries:
|
* When considering the discrepancies in economic development between developed and developing countries that should be reflected when creating a new framework, 50% of respondents, from developed, developing regions, and overall, stated "reduction obligations should be determined for each country with consideration to its level of economic development," making this the most frequently cited response.
|
![Fig[1]. 5.JPG](/images/Media_Upload/image/Fig[1]. 5.JPG)
|
|
Fig.5 Consideration for Discrepancies between Developed and Developing Countries
|
|
* Whereas 14 percent of respondents from developing regions stated, "developing countries should not bear reduction obligations," only two percent of respondents from developed regions made this selection.
|
|
Conditions for Developing Countries to Accept Regulation:
|
* To enable developing countries to accept some level of regulation, "require developed countries to provide financial and technical support to enable developing countries to meet the regulations" was frequently cited, at 53%. In particular, 66% of Japanese respondents made this selection.
|
|
|
Fig. 6 Conditions for Developing Countries to Accept Regulation
|
|
|
Considerations for a Framework Beyond the First Commitment Period for the Kyoto Protocol:
|
* To make the post-2012 framework as effective as possible, respondents most frequently selected "create a system for technical and financial assistance to help enable developing countries to meet their regulatory objectives" at 63%. Responses from developed and developing regions were both consistent with this pattern.
|
![Fig[1]. 7.JPG](/images/Media_Upload/image/Fig[1]. 7.JPG)
|
|
Fig. 7 Considerations for a Framework Beyond the First Commitment Period for the Kyoto Portocol
|
|
|
There May Be a Need to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by More Than 50%:
|
* A combined total of 92% of respondents selected either "such a reduction will unquestionably become necessary in the near future" or "it is possible that such a reduction will become necessary in the future," revealing that an extremely high proportion of respondents feel the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50% from current levels.
|
|
|
Fig. 8 There May Be a Need to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by More Than 50%
|
Achieving a Substantial Reduction:
|
![Fig[1]. 9.JPG](/images/Media_Upload/image/Fig[1]. 9.JPG)
|
|
Fig. 9 Achieving a Substantial Reduction
|
|
* Responses from developed and developing regions revealed a difference of perspectives between the two regions. While 37 percent of respondents from developed regions selected "create a new economic structure that assigns a value to carbon," surpassing the 29 percent who chose "create new reduction objectives within a framework like the Kyoto Protocol and make a concerted effort towards its attainment," the priorities were reversed in developing regions. There, only 20 percent chose the former option, while 44 percent selected the latter.
|
|
3. Progress Toward Agenda 21:
|
* Similar to last year, the categories in which more than 50% of respondents from Japan and overseas reported progress included "promotion of environmental education," "activities by local governments and citizens' groups," "scientific and technological contributions," "formation of recycling systems," and "environmental measures by industry."
|
* As in previous years, the percentage of respondents who reported no progress surpassed those who reported progress in the five categories of "conservation of forest resources," "greenhouse gas prevention measures," "conservation of biodiversity," "population and poverty problems," and "lifestyle alteration." Once again, "lifestyle alteration" was the only category this year in which responses indicating no progress exceeded 50%.
|
|
Fig. 10 Progress Toward Agenda 21
|
Please refer to the complete report for the survey results in its entirety and for specific details at the Asahi Glass Foundation web site.
|
