In 2024, the average temperature of the earth's surface, including the world's land and sea areas, is expected to be1.55°C(*1), making it the warmest year on record. This represents a serious situation that threatens the achievement of the long-term goal of limiting climate change to less than 2°C, preferably 1.5°C, as set forth in the Paris Agreement adopted in 2015.

But is the Japanese media reporting on this issue commensurate with its seriousness? The volume and content of climate change coverage leaves many questions as to how well the issue is being captured.Year 2021andYear 2023The report will expand on the long-term news analysis of climate change coverage disseminated by GNV to track trends in climate coverage, focusing on the years 2023 and 2024.

Parents and children forced to flee due to severe drought (Ethiopia) (Photo:UNICEF Ethiopia / Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])

Climate Change Status and Background

As mentioned in the introduction, in 2024, the average temperature on the global surface, including the world's land and sea areas, is expected to be higher than in the pre-industrial era.1.55°Chigh, making it the warmest year on record. Ocean warming was also an important factor in this record high temperature.role（The year 2024 will see the highest global sea surface temperature and ocean heat content at the upper 2,000 meters in recorded history, and the year 2023-2024 will be the highest year on record for the world's total power generation in 2023.Approx. 140 timesThe heat content increased by an amount equivalent to This ocean warming was said to be due to a temporary rise in sea temperature caused by the 2023 El Niño event (*3), but since the recovery was still limited even after the El Niño event ended, the warming was attributed to an increase in greenhouse gasesaffectis also believed to be negligible. This ocean warming appears to be caused not only by heat release from the oceans, but also by an increase in the amount of water vapor, a greenhouse gas, that is causing the temperature to rise.

The extreme weather events brought about by climate change due to this warming of the atmosphere and oceans have been catastrophic: in 2023, ocean warming will coincide with a heat wave that will cause the second-largest coralbleachingand caused the mass death of marine animals. Thermal expansion of seawater and melting of ice will cause global sea levels to reach record highs, and by 2024, 300 families on the small Panamanian island of Gardi Sugdub will be displaced by rising sea levels.migrationforced to do so. In addition, not only ocean warming,ocean acidificationalso reached extreme levels.

Also in Libya in 2023, climate change will increase the intensity of heavy rainfall by up to 50%, and three dams will collapse after very heavy downpours,More than 3,400have lost their lives. In the Amazon River Basin, after mid-2023, the likelihood of weather drought due to low precipitation and climate change is about 10 times greater, and the likelihood of agricultural drought isApprox. 30 timesThe number increased to Canada, the most extreme ever recorded.wildfirehave occurred. These are just some of the heat waves, heavy rains, droughts, and fires that climate change has affected. Health impacts have also been severe, with deaths and medical costs on the rise. In India, the longest heat wave in recorded history in 2024 will bring temperatures to 50°C in some areas, and heat-related illnesses will kill at least60 peopledeaths, and between 1999 and 2023, the number of deaths related to high temperatures increased by 1,171 TP3T.

Drought-stricken maize (Zambia) (Photo:UNDP Climate / Flickr [CC BY-NC 2.0])

Unstoppable Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The impact of increased greenhouse gas emissions on atmospheric and ocean warming cannot be ignored, based on the fact that greenhouse gases have actually increased,record highConsidering that the average annual increase from 2010 to 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic was 0.81 TP3T, it is clear that emissions growth is accelerating. in 2024, greenhouse gas concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide reached record highs In particular, carbon dioxide concentrations are increasing rapidly. In particular, carbon dioxide concentrations are increasing rapidly, and the rate of increase in methane emissions is also increasing.accelerationThe company is doing so.

And behind this record greenhouse gas emissions is record fossil fuel consumption: in the global energy mix in 2023, fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas will account for 821 TP3T, and consumption (*4)record highrecorded.

Greenhouse gas emissionsBreakdown by Regionshows that the G20 members account for 771 TP3T of global greenhouse gas emissions, while the African Union (including 55 countries) accounts for 61 TP3T and the poorest countries (including 45 countries) only 31 TP3T. Major emitters include China, the United States, India, and the European Union (including 27 countries), which reduced their emissions by 1.41 TP3T and 7.51 TP3T, respectively, between 2022 and 2023, while China and India increased their emissions by 5.21 TP3T and 6.11 TP3T, respectively. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has stated that to keep global warming within the Paris Agreement target of 1.5°C, a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 431 TP3T from 2019 levels is needed by 2030 to 2023.reportThe figure is 43%. Comparing this 43% value with the actual reduction, there is a large gap.

One of the factors contributing to greenhouse gas emissions is subsidies for fossil fuels, and by 2023, the total amount of global subsidies for fossil fuels will beUS$1.1 trillionWhile this is a significant decrease from the US$1.6 trillion in 2022, it is still higher than the average for the past 15 years and represents a major obstacle to climate change action. For more information, please see the pastarticlefor more information. Also, fossil fuel-related investments in 2024 areUS$1 trillionexceeded the previous year's figure. This is due to increased activity by state-owned oil companies in the Middle East and Asia. Meanwhile, with US$2 trillion invested in renewable energy, the bulk of overall energy investment is going toward clean energy. However, the country has yet to rapidly reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. To achieve climate change goals, it is essential to review fossil fuel subsidies, increase investment in renewable energy, and accelerate innovation in less emissions-intensive technologies.

Fossil fuel coal mining site, Australia (Photo:D. Sewell via Lock the Gate Alliance / Flickr [CC BY 2.0])

Global measures against climate change seen in 2023 and 2024

In 2023 and 2024, challenges remained for investments and subsidies that encourage fossil fuel consumption, which is behind greenhouse gas emissions, but what moves were made around the world to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? And what has been done to address climate change as a whole? The key to deciphering these questions is the position of high-income countries, emerging economies, low-income countries, small island developing states, and oil-producing countries, respectively.

Vanuatu and other small island developing states in the South Pacific, one of the countries most severely affected by sea level rise and natural disasters caused by climate change, have intensified their calls for climate justice (*5) and in March 2023 issued an advisory opinion to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legal obligations of states regarding climate change to the ICJ in March 2023.demandThe decision was made to Meanwhile, in the EU, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) (*6) will come into effect in March 2023, imposing a carbon price differential between domestic and foreign importsintroductionwas made. In India, the National Green Hydrogen Mission will be launched in August 2023.decisionThe use of green hydrogen (*7) is being promoted to decarbonize and expand renewable energy sources.

In September of the same year, Africa's first climate summit was held in Kenya, where African countries discussed climate change measures. At the summit, climate finance and financial system reforms for high-income countries were discussed.demandOn the other hand, the strong influence of Western countries led to an emphasis on investment in renewable energy and emissions markets led by Western countries, and a neglect of Africa's own priorities, such as compensation for losses due to natural disasters caused by climate change.criticismalso came out. Later that month, at the UN headquarters in New YorkSDG Summitand ... andClimate Ambition Summitwas held, with "pioneers" and "doers" with credible actions and policies to accelerate decarbonization and climate justice.

From November 30 to December 13, 2023, the 28th Conference of the Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (COP28was held in the oil-producing United Arab Emirates (UAE) at COP28 (*8), where the first Global Stocktake (GST) (*9) was implemented and delays in greenhouse gas reduction targets were revealed. Countries submitted new climate plans (NDCs) by 2025, and targets were set (*10) to triple the amount of renewable energy and double energy efficiency by 2030. In addition, for the first time, the final COP agreement included a reference to fossil fuels. This was followed by thousands of organizations working together to spread the call for "fossil fuel abolitionbackgroundThere were also

However, strong language such as "phase-out" of fossil fuels was avoided, and vague phrases such as "phase-down" and "transition" were used.representationand the elimination of "inefficient fossil fuel subsidies" that could create new loopholes.representationThe number of participants remained at In this regard, COP28 has2,456 personsThe group includes lobbyists for the fossil fuel industry, whose lobbying activities aimed at the interests of this industry are said to have influenced the negotiations. In addition, a "loss and damage fund" to guarantee climate change losses incurred by low-income countries and small island developing states wasEstablishmentThe funds are far short of the US$580 billion expected by 2030.shortageThe company is doing so.

Group photo of COP29, Azerbaijan (Photo:President of Azerbaijan / Wikimedia Commons[.CC BY 4.0])

In January 2024, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a record amount of approximately US$10 billion in climate financing in 2023, which is the largest amount ever approved by the ADB.announcementIn August, the EU's Natural Regeneration Act was passed in the EU.enforcingThe Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which aims to restore ecosystems by 2050 and to implement rehabilitation measures in more than 20% of land and sea by 2030. Through natural regeneration, the country is working to mitigate and adapt to climate change (*11). in october, the 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) was held and the interaction between climate change and the biodiversity crisis was recognized. In particular, climate change mitigation/adaptation measures utilizing marine ecosystems, data sharing, expansion of marine protected areas, discussions on achieving "30 by 30" (30% of land and sea areas to be protected by 2030), and a framework to promote climate change mitigation/adaptation measures and biodiversity conservation in an integrated manner were strengthened. On the other hand, the lack of funds was also recognized as an issue.

The twenty-ninth session of the Conference of the Parties, held from November 11 to 24, 2024 (COP29) (*12), a new climate finance goal (NCQG) was agreed to triple the supply of finance to low-income countries and mobilize US$1.3 trillion per year by 2035. Of this amount, US$300 billion will be contributed by high-income countries, with the remainder relying on voluntary contributions from emerging economies, private finance, and multilateral development banks. Therefore, the small amount of contribution by high-income countries and the uncertainty of the source of funds have been severely criticized by emerging countries, low-income countries, and small island developing states.criticismThe report also noted the following. In addition, investment in renewable energy and low-carbon technologies was prioritized, and no progress was made in measures to finance losses and damages and in response to preferential treatment of emerging economies, low-income countries and small island developing countries have beencriticismerupted. Azerbaijan's natural gas in the Presidencyplan to increase productionand oil-dependent countries.firm attitudehas become a stumbling block to climate change action. In addition, the election of President Donald Trump, who had pledged to withdraw from the Paris Agreement in the U.S. presidential election, has made climate negotiationsuncertaintyIt is believed that this has resulted in a The divide between high-income and low-income countries has deepened, and improved transparency in future financing and clarification of fossil fuel transitions areissueThe first time this happened was in 1983, when the company was founded.

Since COP29, in December, the United Kingdom has been a member of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (CPTPP), which will impose obligations to promote sustainable trade and protect the environment.subscriptionIn addition to the above, the company also made a number of other changes to its business operations. In addition to this,Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperationand ... andASEANInternational Energy Agency (IEA)IEA), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate ChangeInternational organizations, such as the United Nations, have also made decisions and announcements on climate change measures from their respective standpoints.

Europe's largest coal-fired power plant (Poland) (Photo:Roman Ranniew / Flickr [Public domain])

Long-term analysis of news reports mentioning climate coverage since the 1980s

We have looked at the current state of climate change in the world in 2023 and 2024 and the measures being taken to address it. 2023 and 2024 are both record-breaking years in terms of climate change, with various climate disasters, impacts on health and crop production, and sea level rise posing major threats. In addition, there is a large gap between the greenhouse gas emissions that are believed to be responsible for this and the target reductions. High-income countries are somewhat willing to invest in renewable energy and decarbonizing technologies, but are reluctant to compensate low-income countries and small island developing states for the losses and damages they incur, and in general, financing transparency and concrete action plans remain a challenge, and there are concerns that climate ambition is receding.

How much coverage have these current conditions received in Japan? The number of articles mentioning climate change, global warming, and COP from 1984 to 2024 in three major newspapers (Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, and Yomiuri Shimbun) was examined regardless of domestic or international coverage, and the amount of coverage for each year was tabulated according to the research method (*13) in the annotations. The increases seen in 1997, 2008, and 2021 are consistent with those seen in past years.articleThe analysis is presented in more detail in Section 3.2.2. The most noteworthy in this issue is the decrease in the volume of news coverage in 2023 and 2024: the Russian-Ukrainian war after 2022, and the Israeli-Palestinian war after 2023, have decreased byjump (e.g. in prices)The U.S. presidential election in 2024 also occupied much of the media attention. The number of articles mentioning climate change has stagnated, perhaps due to the lack of ambitious decisions in the international arena. Even though the 1.5 degree Celsius target of the Paris Agreement has been exceeded, the amount of coverage is still low and is below the amount of coverage in 1997, and is also lower than in 2021.

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Mid-term analysis of climate change coverage in 2023 and 2024

As mentioned above, new facts supporting the severity of 2023 and 2024 were uncovered, and the urgency to address climate change was becoming more and more urgent, but the amount of media coverage that took up the issue and mentioned climate change was not large. So what exactly were many of the things that were reported in the press?

The number of articles dealing with climate change issues in the three major newspapers in 2023 and 2024 (*14) increases sharply in November, when the COP is held. Looking at the specifics, the percentage of articles dealing mainly with the COP among articles on climate change issues in the two years from 2023 to 2024 was extremely high, at 56.7% for the Yomiuri Shimbun, 32.5% for the Mainichi Shimbun, and 28.9% for the Asahi Shimbun, which were frequently mentioned along with the COP ( The keywords that were frequently mentioned with COP (accounting for more than 15% of articles mentioning COP) were "fossil fuels" and "temperature," "greenhouse gases," "renewable energy," and the host country "UAE" in 2023, showing the contents that received particular attention at COP28. On the other hand, "loss and damage" received only about 4.5% of the total number of COP28 references. Specific references to "global stocktaking" were not mentioned by some publishers, and there were no direct references to "lobbying" by any of the three publishers.

In 2024, the number of references to "developed countries" increased by 571 TP3T from 2023, and the number of references to "finance" increased by 541 TP3T, suggesting that there has been recognition of their role as high-income countries, including as a result of COP28, since it has risen in 2024, contrary to the decline in the number of references to the COP Narrowing the focus to COP29, references to "finance" have already increased by 31% from 2023 compared to COP28, which may reflect the financing questioned in COP29. In addition, references to the "Trump" presidency were 5 in total for the three companies in 2023, but exceeded 50 in 2024. On the other hand, references to fossil fuels decreased by about 421 TP3T, references to temperature decreased by about 301 TP3T, and references to "loss and damage" were made by only one company, indicating that those that were not fully discussed at COP29 received less coverage and were less likely to be supplemented in the form of criticism or recommendations. There were no reports on the specific name of the new climate finance goal (NCQG), and only one company mentioned the goal of US$1.3 trillion, but all three companies mentioned US$300 billion in support. In addition, even among the COPs of the same Conference of the Parties, COP 16, the Convention on Biological Diversity, received only 141 TP3T and 30% of the media coverage of COP 28 and COP 29, the Framework Convention on Climate Change, compared to COP 28 and COP 29, respectively.

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In the media coverage of the COP, the total number of references to "greenhouse gases," "temperature," "renewable energy," "fossil fuels," and "developing countries" by the three companies over the two years was more than 180, indicating a high level of interest in reducing emissions and achieving the 1.5°C target. On the other hand, there were fewer references to "private sector" and "citizens" than to "governments" and "companies," limited attention to "emerging countries" compared to "developing countries" and "developed countries," and insufficient coverage of the role of civil society and the responsibilities of emerging countries. In addition, the focus of discussions was on "aid" rather than "compensation," and there was little coverage from the perspective of low-income countries. There were also few references to specific issues such as "subsidies," "climate justice," and "lobbying." Overall, the discussion tended to be limited in comparison to the breadth of the issues.

Overall, there were few references to arrangements or events related to climate change and global warming outside of the COP. There was virtually no coverage of the UN Water Conference or the decision on India's National Green Hydrogen Mission, and coverage of the African Climate Summit and the European Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism was limited to a few news organizations. Furthermore, coverage of international frameworks such as the 2023 Climate Ambition Summit, the adoption of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the SDG Summit, the UK's membership in the CPTPP, and the Asian Development Bank's expanded financing of climate change measures was uneven across institutions. On the other hand, there was some mention of APEC, ASEAN, the International Energy Agency (IEA), and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

This bias is likely due to the interest of news organizations and their choice of information sources, confirming that trends in global climate action are less perspectival.

summary

Climate change is an extremely serious problem that requires urgent action. Global warming is accelerating, and its effects are becoming a reality in the form of record-breaking temperature rises, frequent extreme weather events, and even rising sea levels. Prompt and bold measures are essential if countries are to achieve the goals set forth in the Paris Agreement. At present, however, the dependence on fossil fuels remains high, and greenhouse gas emissions have reached record levels. Even though low-income countries and small island developing states are the ones most affected by global warming, the situation remains unequitable. In addition, there are signs that some high-income countries are receding in their ambition to take action on climate change, and there is a need to guarantee transparency in financing, clarify accountability, and specify implementation methods.

Typhoon Goat gaining strength over the South China Sea (Photo:MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC / Wikimedia Commons [Public domain])

Japan's coverage of climate change has been solely from a Japanese perspective. In addition, the amount of coverage on international frameworks and events is highly skewed, and there are not many references to specific decisions. In reporting on monetary targets, there is a tendency to emphasize the position of "support" and "investment" rather than "compensation" to low-income countries. Also, with regard to the COP, while the words problem and failure are mentioned, there are few specific or detailed references to them, or they may be expressed in an indirect way. In addition, climate coverage generally focuses on institutional actors such as governments and corporations, while less on the damage to citizens and the role of citizens.

Based on the above analysis, it is clear that there is room for improvement in the reporting of the three major Japanese news companies in conveying awareness of the seriousness of climate change and the progress of countermeasures, such as providing a wealth of information from a more multifaceted and in-depth perspective.

1 This figure of 1.55°C is based on the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF), Japan Meteorological Agency, NASA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the UK Meteorological Service and a team from the University of East Anglia's Climate Research Unit (HadCRUT), Berkeley Earth, and six from the comprehensivecomputationThe temperatures are the same as those used in the previous section. These six temperature evaluations differ in methodology, each taking a range of 1.46°C to 1.62°C.

2 In the first placeglobal warmingis caused by the imbalance between the energy radiated from the sun and the infrared energy emitted from the earth into space. The increase in the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that absorb this infrared radiation has reduced the amount of infrared radiation emitted into space. The infrared energy absorbed by the atmosphere is stored as heat on the earth.Approx. 90is accumulated in the oceans. Thus, until now, most of the excess heat that was not released into space was absorbed by the oceans, and the rapid warming of the surface and atmosphere was suppressed. At the same time, however, the absorption of excess heat has increased sea surface temperatures, and the effects of greenhouse gas-induced warming can be more clearly seen by focusing on sea surface temperatures and ocean heat content.

*3El Nino phenomenonis a phenomenon in which sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean from near the date line to the coast of South America rise above normal and remain so for about a year. This phenomenon occurs when the trade winds weaken, causing the warm ocean water that normally accumulates in the west to spread eastward and weaken the upwelling of cold water. El Niño events can cause extreme weather events around the world.

4 Greenhouse gas emission sourcesbreakdownis the largest in the electric power sector (26.41 TP3T). It is followed by the transportation sector (14.71 TP3T) and the agricultural and industrial sectors (both 11.41 TP3T). International aviation saw a sharp increase in emissions as it recovered from the Corona disaster. Fuel production (oil and gas infrastructure and coal mining), road transport, and energy-related industries also showed rapid increases in 2023.

5 A concept that aims to share fairly the impacts and burdens of climate change and to protect the rights of particularly vulnerable groups.

6 A system under which products imported from outside the EU are subject to a cost based on their carbon emissions at the time of production. This system applies a carbon price equivalent to that of products from within the EU, thereby preventing the inflow of inexpensive, high-emission products while curbing carbon leakage and strengthening climate change countermeasures.

7 Hydrogen obtained by electrolysis of water using renewable energy.

8 In addition to those mentioned in the body of the article, there were discussions on the importance of nature and ecosystem conservation, support for reducing methane emissions, the establishment of a "UAE Framework" as a Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), the first COP declaration dedicated to the insurance sector, the COP28 UAE Declaration on Food Systems The announcement of financial commitments to regenerative agriculture and climate and food innovation for transformation was also made. In addition to those mentioned in the main text of this article, the COP28 UAE also adopted carbon market rules that include a methodology for managing CO2 removal, and established 100 indicators to measure progress against the sectoral targets of the COP28 UAE Framework.

9 Global stocktaking is an opportunity to assess progress toward achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement and to set the direction of future climate change action.

10 At the same time, hopes were pinned on carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) technology, but overreliance on it would hinder fundamental solutions to the climate change problem, according to the report.concernThere are also

11 Mitigation includes enhancement of carbon sinks and promotion of bioeconomy through ecosystem restoration, and adaptation includes reduction of natural disaster risks such as floods and droughts, conservation of water resources, and urban cooling effects of green spaces through ecosystem restoration.be captured (e.g. data)The following is a list of the most common problems with the

12 In addition to those mentioned in the body of the article, the adoption of carbon market rules, which include a methodology for managing CO2 removal, and the development of 100 indicators to measure progress against the sectoral targets of the COP28 UAE Framework were also made.

13 The Asahi Shimbun's online database "Asahi Shimbun Cross Search," the Mainichi Shimbun's online database "Maishaku," and the Yomiuri Shimbun's online database "Yomidas Rekishikan" were used to count the number of articles that appeared in the morning and evening editions (all pages) of the Mainichi/Asahi/Yomiuri Shimbun head offices from January 1984 to December 2024. The number of articles was counted for all articles that contained the words "COP" or "climate change" or "global warming" in the headline or body of the article.

14 To examine articles, we used the Asahi Shimbun's online database "Asahi Shimbun Cross Search," the Mainichi Shimbun's online database "Mainichi Search," and the Yomiuri Shimbun's online database "Yomidas Rekishikan" (in Japanese). The number of articles was counted for all articles that contained the words "COP" or "climate change" or "global warming" in the headline among the articles that appeared in the morning and evening editions.

Writer: Kanako Kinoshita

Graphic by Virgil Hawkins

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