Context: Japan will achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050, outlining an ambitious agenda as the country struggles to balance economic and pandemic concerns.
Japan intends to make a sustainable economy a pillar of his growth strategy and “put maximum effort into achieving a green society.”
The European Union and Britain have already set similar targets for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, and China recently announced it would become carbon-free by 2060.
Japan previously targeted a 80% reduction by 2050.
Japan need to shift away from fossil fuels to counter climate change as an opportunity rather than a burden.
Japan’s current energy plan, set in 2018, calls for 22-24% of its energy to come from renewables, 20-22% from nuclear power and 56% from fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas.
Progress toward reducing reliance on fossil fuels has been hindered due to the prolonged closures of most of Japan’s nuclear plants after the meltdown of the Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant due to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in the northeastern Tohoku region.
Japan is planning to reverse its basic energy plan for 2030 and 2050.
The 2050 emissions-free target would require drastic changes and likely prompt calls for more nuclear plant restarts.
About 40% of Japan’s carbon emissions come from power companies, and they must use more renewable sources of energy while stepping up development of technologies using hydrogen, ammonia and other carbon-free resources, experts say.
