Abstract
Before ascending to power in September 2009, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) heralded major changes in foreign policy direction. Part of the election campaign concentrated on environmental legislations and ambitious climate policy. Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio shared a vision of taking a lead in negotiations on cutting greenhouse gases. He made one of the most ambitious declarations in the history of Japan’s participation in the United Nations climate talks. This environmental shift in foreign and domestic policy appeared under rather favorable international circumstances. The Conference of the Parties in Copenhagen was expected to be a major step in the global warming mitigation process. Engagement in a more ambitious climate policy by the Hatoyama administration was an example of using the privilege of initiating important changes by the prime minister despite heavy interministerial struggles and active opposition from domestic interest groups. Thanks to the relaxation of the rule of dispersed management Prime Minister Hatoyama was able to present a different stance on climate policy soon after assuming office. Although one could not identify strong veto players among the groups usually engaged in Japan’s foreign policy formulation, opposition from other ministries and business circles had a significant influence on the perception of the DPJ’s climate program. This chapter shows how a lack of leadership skills, weak policy execution, and defective coordination prevented the prime minister and the Kantei from making progress even in a relatively favorable international setting.
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Notes
- 1.
Cap and trade is a flexible approach to emission reduction which places emission limits on particular companies or sectors. The companies can choose between cutting CO2 levels or buying additional emission permits from entities that did not use their full allowance.
- 2.
System of payment for households and companies generating electricity from renewable sources. A limited feed-in tariff mechanism had been launched by the previous LDP administration, but was limited to solar power producers. The DPJ promised to introduce a comprehensive feed-in tariff system which would promote all renewable energy sources.
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Zakowski, K., Bochorodycz, B., Socha, M. (2018). Climate Change Negotiations Under the DPJ Government. In: Japan’s Foreign Policy Making. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63094-6_10
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