Japan establishes new biofuels target

Japan has finalized a plan to consume 600,000 kiloliters per year (klpy) crude equivalent of biofuels by 2020 as the new target for its post-Kyoto Protocol commitment, government officials said. Japan’s new ethanol consumption plan is part of Tokyo’s new target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 15% from 2005 levels, before 2020. The country’s new target translates to an 8% reduction from 1990 levels, the standard benchmark used in U.N.-led negotiations to decide on a post-Kyoto Protocol framework. Japan’s new target is higher than its current commitment to consume 500,000 klpy crude equivalent of biofuels in the fiscal year from April 2010 to March 2011. (June 11, 2009)