Acronyms

Access

Logo

Contact

Project Leader	Dr. Shuzo NISHIOKA Institute for Global Environmental Strategies Shonan Village Center, 1560-39, Kamiyamaguchi  Hayama, Kanagawa, 240-0198 JAPAN Tel: +81-468-55-3700 Fax: +81-468-55-3709 Email: nishioka@iges.or.jp
Funding	US $60,000
Participating countries	China, Japan, Korea, Russia

Introduction/Background
The main goal of this project is to analyse possibilities and constraints in developing collaboration between four North Asian countries, i.e. between China, Japan, Korea and Russia in implementing the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC); to study national approaches of joint efforts, strategies and practical steps undertaken and its impacts on other countries in the Asia-Pacific region; as well as to elaborate policy recommendations on how to make joint instruments in the region and effective tools on domestic and international climate policies.

Outline of activities conducted
The first workshop was held on 11-12 October in Hayama. The first day was devoted to presentations of members research results so far, followed by discussions. The second day was allocated for structuring an interim report. Expected contents of the report discussed here included: analysis of existing regional co-operation in Northeast Asia; implications of co-operation in the context of UNFCCC and the Kyoto Mechanism; climate policies of the four countries; economic transition in Russia and its implications on climate policy; possibilities and barriers of collaboration between Japan and Russia
finding various collaboration in this region including CDM; climate policy implications of regional energy collaboration; and the introduction of the GHG emission model for the four countries. Participants were Dr. Cui Cheng (China), Ms. Zhou (China),
Dr. Shuzo Nishioka, Dr. Naoki Matsuo, Ms. Aki Maruyama, Ms. Wakana Takahashi, Ms. Miya Iwase (Japan), Dr. Tae Yong Jung (Korea), and Dr. Elena Nikitina (Russia).

Outcomes/Products
In this research, we recognize the importance of regional collaboration in Northern Asia in terms of energy and economic collaboration, as well as collaboration in climate policies. This research is now at the first draft stage. Objectives and motivation of this research is to analyze possibilities and constraints in developing collaboration among the four countries (China, Japan, Korea and Russia) in this region. We focus particularly on national approaches for the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), and explore joint efforts, strategies and practical steps for mitigating GHG emissions among those countries. First of all, we describe the general situation of the four countries, developing possible indicators that make a comparison among them. Since the situations of the four countries are quite different, it is necessary to have a general description on climate change policy issues in both domestic and international policies. Especially, it is appropriate to raise detailed questions related to the Kyoto mechanisms, such as early action, supplementary technological transfer, additional ties, baseline, etc. to understand the position of each country to the FCCC.

After the break-up of the former Soviet Union, Russia is now in economic transition. It has also been identified that institutional modernization in the energy sector and energy efficiency improvement is the most urgent task in Russia. However, recently we have observed a turning point in the economic recovery of Russia, which is important for picturing world GHG emission profiles. Hence, it is quite critical to identify those new factors that affect GHG emissions and economic development in Russia.

Another important topic in this research is to identify domestic institutional and policy formulation between Japan and Russia, since these two countries belong to the Annex I group of FCCC, who have quantified a target of mitigating GHG emissions. First of all, institutional barriers for collaboration between the two countries should be identified. So far, there are 30 existing NEDO projects between the two countries, which should be further examined in the perspective of climate policy. Especially, one or two specific projects under AIJ framework done by NEDO might be good examples.

In a broader perspective, energy collaboration among the four countries in this region will change the whole profile of GHG emissions, accelerating energy and economic collaboration. For example, the gas electricity power plant in Sakhalin for exporting electricity to Japan is now under discussion between the two countries. Analysis of Siberia's gas pipeline project should be included, which is attractive to every country in this region. Bilateral collaboration between countries in this region would also give significant insight for formulating international collaboration to mitigate GHG emission. In the case of China and Japan, it is possible to indicate a lot from CDM. As for China and Korea we can identify many cases for economic collaboration, but it is difficult to fit them into the Kyoto Protocol at this stage. In the case of China and Russia, collaboration in the power generation sector is now in place. (China buys electricity from Russia, which is the reverse case of CDM.) CDM from Russia to China is theoretically possible but there is a low probability of such a case. Hence, it is necessary to analyze specific case studies of various combinations among countries to derive meaningful climate policy implications.

Future directions/Follow-up work
The second year is devoted to synthesising research results of the first year into policy recommendations. Based on the analysis of the four countries political and economic situation, and potential collaborative options. They include CDMs, development and trade of natural gas use and development of the emission trade market. The effectiveness of the option of implementing the Kyoto target and economies of collaborating countries is quantitatively evaluated by IGEM, an energy-economic model developed at IGES in the first year. Political implication of collaboration is also analysed.