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 Satellite
imaging provides compelling evidence of changes in
temperature patterns. |
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Mitsubishi
Research Institute will help forestall global warming by
supporting activities in developing nations for reducing
output of carbon dioxide and other so-called greenhouse
gases. The company--Japan's leading private-sector think
tank--has concluded a cooperation agreement with the United
Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Under
that agreement, Mitsubishi Research and UNIDO will share
pertinent information and insights, will conduct training
programs for personnel from developing nations, and will
participate directly in undertaking projects to reduce industrial
output of carbon dioxide.
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| Greenhouse
gases increase the amount of solar radiation retained by
the atmosphere and therefore raise the temperature on the
surface of the earth. Carbon dioxide from automobiles, fossil-fuel
power plants, and other activity of industrial society is
the biggest reason for the increase in atmospheric greenhouse
gases. Industrialized nations are the biggest belchers of
artificially generated carbon dioxide by far. Developing
nations, however, will account for much of the increase
in global output of carbon dioxide as they industrialize
rapidly. Helping those nations industrialize in ways that
minimize output of carbon dioxide is crucially important
in forestalling global warming. |
Hot
enough for you?
Dr. Carlos Magarinos, UNIDO's director general, visited
Mitsubishi Research's headquarters in Tokyo on May 22 for
the signing ceremony. At the ceremony, Mitsubishi Research
president Takeshi Yano affirmed his company's commitment
to the spirit of the Kyoto Protocol. That was the watershed
agreement reached by participants at the Kyoto conference
on global warming in December 1997.
The official name of the Kyoto gathering was
the Third Conference of the Parties to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP3). Since the
participating nations included most of the world's industrialized
nations and developing nations, the Kyoto agreement was
a promising step forward. The devil is in the details, however,
and subsequent efforts to translate the agreement into concrete
action bogged down in debates over interpretation. Earlier
this year, the United States withdrew from the Kyoto accord,
which sounded like the death knell for the agreement. |
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| How
long can you tread water? |
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Developing
sustainably
UNIDO began as an internal U.N. agency in 1966 and became
the world body's 16th full-fledged organization in 1985.
Headquartered in Vienna, UNIDO has worked actively and effectively
on behalf of sustainable development.
Mitsubishi Research brings to the cooperation
agreement a wealth of expertise in environmental technologies,
alternative energies, and public administration. Its extensive
experience in evaluating sources of greenhouse gases and
planning efficient power grids will mesh well with UNIDO's
needs and capabilities.
Getting together
Officials at UNIDO knew of Mitsubishi Research's work in
energy-related projects and proposed a cooperation agreement.
In signing the agreement, Mitsubishi Research has joined
a distinguished group of UNIDO partners, including Oxford
University and Moscow University.
Working with UNIDO, meanwhile, is an opportunity
for Mitsubishi Research to expand its activity outside Japan.
Management at Mitsubishi Research has designated global
environmental issues a core business emphasis for the company.
And they will make the most of their partnership with UNIDO
to exhibit their company's capabilities in the global arena.
They also will speak out on relevant issues at international
forums. |
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