According to the new plan presented by the Ministers of Environment and Industry, Japan aims to reduce CO₂ emissions by 60 per cent by 2035 and by 73 per cent by 2040 by boosting renewables and nuclear power. However, the continued dependence on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and coal raises doubts about the Asian country’s real energy transition. The plan will be submitted to the UN within a month. Japan, the world’s fifth largest CO2 emitter, is preparing for a new decarbonisation strategy. The recently endorsed Climate Plan of the coalition government of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba predicts a reduction of 60% of greenhouse gases by 2035 and 73% by 2040, based on the 2013 base. This is an ambitious goal, an extension of the 46% goal for 2030, but one that national politicians and specialists insist is insufficient to keep up with the goals set by the Paris Agreement.
The response to the UN invitation
Even though close to 80 per cent of the 3,000 public submissions called for a deeper cut, the Ministries of Industry and Environment finalised the target as is, basing the calculations on earlier estimates. Japan’s Minister of the Environment Keiichiro Asao announced that he would be handing in the updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the UN within a month, thus responding to the challenge of the world body to add muscle to strategies to fight back against climate change.
In particular, the minister emphasised the urgency for innovative ways to carry out the new targets of decarbonisation: “In addition to current efforts, the next target will also require innovations capable of drastically reducing emissions. We believe these targets are very ambitious,” said Asao. The new energy plan aims to transform Japan’s electricity mix by 2040, focusing mainly on renewables and nuclear energy. More specifically, there is talk of covering up to 50 per cent of electricity generation with RES, while atomic energy should provide 20 per cent of total needs.
Gas and coal are still dominant
The climate strategy presented marks a turning point from the Asian country’s initial slowdown on nuclear power, an almost inevitable consequence after the Fukushima disaster in 2011. Since then, Japan has taken a step backwards on nuclear power plants, which in 2023 contributed only 8.5 per cent of national needs. However, the new plan no longer includes the previous goal of reducing dependence on nuclear power and includes the construction of new-generation reactors as one of the objectives.
Decarbonisation
The commitments, though, do not limit the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and coal, which Japan continues to rely on heavily. In fact, LNG demand has been projected to continue growing through 2040. In addition, the offshore wind power industry, which is seen as central to the growth of renewable energy in Japan, is beset by inflation and high costs. This is doubting whether the actions of Japan are sufficient in the global crusade against climate change and whether the nation’s new plan will be sufficient to deal with the critical situation of emission reductions. The globe will observe if the lofty visions of Japan are translated into actions and whether the actions will be sufficient to contribute significantly to holding global warming in check.
Further plans for renewable energy
The development of offshore wind power, a priority area of Japan’s renewable energy policy, is being stifled. Runaway inflation and exorbitant costs are compelling players such as Mitsubishi Corp to reconsider their involvement in offshore wind projects. All these indicate the difficulty in speeding up renewable energy infrastructure and ensuring that the right policies are designed to spur its development. Japan’s energy dilemma brings into focus the difficulty of transitioning to a sustainable energy paradigm. Although the country has achieved some improvements in the development of renewable energy, its continued dependence on fossil fuels and the difficulties faced by the offshore wind sector are significant obstacles. These difficulties can only be addressed by the implementation of collective policies, technological innovation, and the vision of a cleaner energy future in the long run.
