Understanding Similarities and Differences of Countries: A Mini-portfolio Reflecting a Culture of Resilience Amidst Global Issues Countries: Germany and Japan Topic: Climate Change Mitigation Introduction Climate change is rapidly affecting the whole world. Multiple studies showed that climate change is slowly killing our planet, with icebergs melting, forest fires, excessively hot temperatures, etc. These are only some of the effects of climate change in our world. There are multiple ways to reduce climate change and one of these is through climate change mitigation. Climate change mitigation means keeping the globe from warming to more extreme temperatures and implies avoiding and limiting emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Long-term effects of climate change in Germany include lower water supply, more frequent and powerful heat and cold waves, flash and coastal floods, and increased heatwave intensity. Storms that destroy local businesses and infrastructure are just one of the economic repercussions of the climate issue in Japan. Climate-related agricultural damage to staples of local economies and sources of cultural pride, such as rice, fresh produce, and seafood, is another. The most dramatic effects of the climate crisis are more frequent and intense typhoons and increasing rainfall. Germany is known to be one of the largest and most powerful economies in the world. It is located in Central and Western Europe, and stretches along the Baltic and North Seas. The country covers a total of 357,022 sq km, 348,672 sq km with land and 8,350 sq km with water. Germany shares borders with nine other countries, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Belgium, and The Netherlands. Germany is the seventh largest country in Europe, and the 62nd largest in the world (CIA World Factbook, 2016). The capital of Germany is Berlin, but it also surrounded by many other major cities (Leipzig, Munich, Stuttgart, Aachen, Nuremberg, Bonn, Heidelberg, and Cologne) to name a few. In most of Germany, a country located in the center of Europe, from 47 to 55 degrees north latitude, the climate is moderately continental, characterized by cold winters, with average daily temperatures around 0 °C (32 °F) or slightly above, and warm summers, with maximum temperatures around 23/26 °C (73/79 °F) in July and August. The northernmost area (see Bremen, Hamburg, Lübeck, Rostock, Kiel) is slightly milder, but it's also rainier and windier because of the influence of the Atlantic Ocean. The massifs of south-central Germany and the small portion of the Alps in the far south have a mountainous climate, which becomes of course colder as altitude increases. There is also the household consumption of 53.7%, government 19.7%, investments in fixed capital 19.9%, exports 45.9% and imports -38.4% that make up the country’s GDP composition. Japan is an island country in the North Pacific Ocean. It lies off the northeast coast of mainland Asia and faces Russia, Korea, and China. Four large islands and thousands of smaller ones make up Japan. The four major islands- Hokkaido, ,Kyushu and Shikoku form a curve that extends for about 1,900 kilometres. Topography Japan is a land of great natural beauty. mountains and hills cover about 70% of the country. IN fact, Japanese islands consist of the rugged upper part of a great mountain range that rises from the floor of the North Pacific Ocean. Japan's climate. The warm, dark-blue Japan Current flows northward along the country's south coast and along the east coast as far north as Tokyo. The Japan current has a warming effect on the climate of theses regions. The cold Oyashio Rain is abundant through most of Japan. All the areas of the country--except eastern Hokkaido--receive at least 100 centimeters of rain yearly. Japan has two major rainy seasons--from mid-June to early July and from September to October. This essay includes the similarities and differences of Germany and Japan in terms of their geographical features, their governance and most especially how they mitigate climate change. Some of their similarities are both Japan and Germany are both parliamentary democracies and free market economies that believe in multilateralism and global trade. The political systems in Japan and Germany are roughly the same age: the post-war constitution came into force in Japan on 3 May 1947. Some of their differences in terms of climate are based on their geographical features, Japan varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north while in Germany temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind. Climate Change Mitigation Germany Germany have been experiencing extreme climate change that resulted a huge damage within the country. Deadly heat stress, especially in cities, water shortages in the soil and more frequent low water, with serious consequences for all ecosystems, agriculture, forestry and the goods transport sector. The economic damage caused by heavy rainfall , flash floods and flooding to structures was also studied, as well as the species change caused by the gradual rise in temperature, including the spread of disease vectors and pests. Few regions in Germany have so far been very intensively affected by the extreme climate change . The Climate Impact and Risk Assessment 2021 for Germany examined over 100 climate change impacts and their interactions, and around 30 of them were found to require very urgent action. If this continues the damage will give a drastic knock on effect on ecosystem that are already polluted , such as soils, forest and water bodies and on humans and their health. To put a dot with the said issue, the federal government creates a reliable financial and legal framework for effective cilimate mitigation. If they will not give attention to this, all of Germany would become a hotspot for climate change risks by the end of the century. Germany has already achieved a great deal in the field of climate action. In 2019 about 43% of electricity was generated from renewable resources such as wind and solar power. Under the Climate Action Programme 2030 and the new Climate Action Act (Klimaschutzgesetz) the German government has made a binding undertaking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55 per cent by 2030. We are phasing out the use of coal to generate electric power. This project s intended to reduce green house gas emissions by 50% in 2030, to phase out the use of coal to generate electric power and to restructure the mobility. Japan Climate change has affected Japan drastically. The temperature and rainfall have increased rapidly in the years leading up to 2020. This has resulted in immature rice grains and also oranges that automatically get separated from their skin due to immature growth by inappropriate weather. Lots of corals in the Japanese seas and oceans have died due to rising sea temperatures and ocean acidification. Tiger mosquitoes who transmit dengue fever were found further north than before. As the climate change is affecting Japan, the ecosystem in Japan is in a major danger. Some of the major impacts from the climate change on the ecosystem are the changes of air and water quality. Although there have not been extreme ecosystem crashes in Japan, it is required for the government to watch out for any kinds of outbreaks in Japan's ecosystem. As the climate change heavily affects the weather patterns in Japan, people in Japan will most likely experience severe weather conditions such as storms, floods, and droughts. According to WWF Climate Change report, it is shown that the habitat of mosquitoes is dramatically increasing in Japan, which could result in an increase of diseases. Hokkaido, northern island in Japan, is the home of hundreds of animals as its northern part is as cold as artic and the southern part of Hokkaido has forests with warmer temperature all year around. In fact, over 20 percent of mammals, fishes, and vascular plants are already facing the reality of extinction due to the climate change. On top of the extinction of mammals, fishes, and plants, reptiles and bird species are facing extinction as well. Local governments, both prefectures and municipalities, are responsible for creating their own climate change adaptation plans under the Climate Change Adaptation Act, which came into force in December 2018. They are also tasked with creating Local Climate Change Adaptation Centers to study climate change adaptation, which can be established in partnership with research institutes, universities, or other appropriate local institutions. By 2021, 22 of the 47 prefectures and 30 of the 1,741 municipalities had established plans, while 23 prefectures and 2 municipalities had established research centers. While local governments can create joint plans and centers under the legislation, by 2021 none had done so. Japan’s updated 2030 Paris Agreement target commits to reducing emissions by 46% below 2013 and to “continue strenuous effort in its challenge” towards a 50% reduction. This new target is a significant step forward from the previous 26% reduction target, even though it falls short of a more than 60% reduction that a CAT analysis estimated to be 1.5°C-compatible. Comparison and Contrast of Japan/ Germany Climate Policy Changes in Germany and Japan compares two decades of climate policy development in Germany and Japan. It examines whether there is any difference between the types and levels of policy change in the two countries, and, if so, what factors account for the difference. Using a comparison of climate policy changes in Germany and Japan from 1987 to 2005 as a basis, it also discusses the effectiveness and the limits of existing theories of policy change and policy process, most notably the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF), Punctuated Equilibrium Approach and Multiple Stream Approach, and explores the theoretical question as to how long-term, paradigmatic policy change takes place. The book lastly presents a hypothetical model of the mechanisms of paradigmatic policy change. Japan and Germany are the largest Western industrial nations after the US, sharing a similar size of GDP, population, and some institutional commonalities (Schreurs 2002;Watanabe 2011;Weidner et al. 2020). Both countries are classified as consensus democracies (Lijphart 2012), and advisory committees play a significant role in the phase of policy formulation (Watanabe 2011). Moreover, they are two large industrial states without oil resources. Both of the countries are striving in identifying the right solution in mitigating climate change but they have also differences. Japan and Germany establishes it’s strategic energy plan which goals set for 2030, the plan is aimed to reduce coal use from 32 to 26 percent, to increase renewables from 17 to 22–24 percent, and to increase nuclear from 6 to 20–22 percent of the energy production mix. This two countries are phasing out the use of coal to generate electricity, and putting its faith in renewables – this move to put Germany's energy mix on a more sustainable footing is known as the energy shift or energy transition. The only thing that make them different from each other in mitigating climate change is they have different process or ways in acting their plans, Japan uses renewable resources while Germany uses Nuclear power. Conclusion References Margolis, E. (2021, January 16). The true cost of the climate crisis on Japan. Thejapantimes. Retrieved August 29, 2022, from https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2021/01/16/environment/cost-climate-change/ Climate change in Germany. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved August 29, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change_in_Germany What’s the difference between climate change mitigation and adaptation? (n.d.). World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved August 29, 2022, from https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/what-s-the-difference-between-climate-changemitigation-andadaptation#:~:text=Climate%20change%20mitigation%20means%20avoiding,warming% 20to%20more%20extreme%20temperatures. https://climatepositions.com/climate-change-performance-japan-vs-germanyrenewable-energy-and-nuclear-power/. https://www.routledge.com/Climate-Policy-Changes-in-Germany-and-Japan-A-Path-toParadigmatic-Policy/Watanabe/p/book/9780415615754. https://climateanalytics.org/briefings/coal-phaseout/#:~:text=Coal%20phase%2Dout%20%E2%80%93%20global%20and%20regional%20 perspective&text=Global%20coal%20emissions%20should%20peak,by%202040%20at% 20the%20latest.
