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Original title: Yoshihide Suga’s first political speech, the Japanese version of the “Carbon Neutrality” plan published
Source: 21st Century Business Herald
On October 26, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced in his first political speech to the Diet that Japan will achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and will be fully carbon neutral. This is the first time that the Japanese government has proposed a specific timeline for entering a decarbonized society.
Previously, Japan’s long-term climate strategy was to cut emissions by 80% by 2050 based on 2010 and achieve carbon neutrality “as soon as possible in the second half of this century.” With the introduction of a specific calendar, Japan has become just another economy after the European Union and the United Kingdom who announced that it will be carbon neutral by the end of 2050.
In his speech, Yoshihide Suga described the energy transition in response to climate change as an opportunity rather than a burden. “Addressing climate change is no longer a constraint on economic growth.” He said: “We need to change this mindset, take decisive action to address climate change, and promote industrial fabric and economic and social reforms to achieve tremendous growth.”
To achieve this goal, Yoshihide Suga said that the new generationSolar energyBatteries and carbon recycling technologies will be the key. Japan will strengthen research and development in these areas and realize the development of a digital Japanese society, a policy it has been following since taking over from Shinzo Abe. In addition, he also said that the ratio of energy to coal will be reduced “fundamentally” and nuclear energy policies will be promoted under the premise of giving priority to safety.
The goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050 is in line with the Japanese government’s July plan to suspend or close 100 old and inefficient coal-fired power plants by the end of 2030. The closure of this scale marks a major shift in strong support from the Japanese government to coal power.
Recently, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry also started discussions on the country’s long-term energy structure goals, which are updated every three years. The key topics discussed in this discussion include energy costs, stable supply, and building a low-carbon society. The revised target will be announced in 2021.
According to Japan’s current long-term energy targets, by 2030, nuclear power is expected to account for 20-22% of total power generation, LNG 27%, coal 26%, renewable energies 22% -24% and oil 3%. Among renewable energy sources, geothermal energy represents 1.0% -1.1%, wind energy 1.7%, biomass energy 3.7% -4.6%, solar energy 7.0% and water energy 8.8 % -9.2%.
At present, it is not clear how resource-poor Japan can shed its dependence on fossil fuels. Since the Fukushima nuclear accident, Japan’s participation in nuclear power has dropped dramatically. Only five of the 33 planned nuclear power plants in the country are still in operation. The Japanese government has to resort to supporting coal-based power generation to make up the power supply gap. According to data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), the share of coal-fired power generation in Japan’s electricity supply has increased from 25% in 2010 to about 33% in 2018.
For Japan, to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality, the key will be to vigorously develop renewable energy. Japan’s Minister of Administrative Reform Kono Taro said in a media interview recently that regulatory measures will be relaxed to increase the areas where wind and solar power can be developed, thus encouraging private investment and achieving the government’s goal. to improve renewable energy.
China and South Korea announce carbon neutral targets ahead of Japan
Japan is the world’s third-largest economy and the fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, promising to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, marking a major shift in its position on the issue of climate change.
A month before Japan announced its new emission reduction targets, China announced that it would increase its nationally determined contribution and adopt more effective policies and measures. It strived to achieve its maximum carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and would strive to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. China’s commitment is of great importance to realizing the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Lars Faeste, managing director of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), told reporters at 21st Century Report that China is currently one of the world’s largest carbon emitters, with total carbon emissions equal to the sum of the United States and the Union. European. Participation, other countries in the world cannot reach the 1.5 ° C temperature control target. At the same time, this commitment also reflects China’s determination to set a global example on climate change issues.
In addition to China and Japan, South Korea is also promoting emission reduction efforts. In the April elections for South Korean MPs, the Common Democratic Party led by President Moon Jae-in promised to achieve a “carbon-free society” by 2050. Moon Jae-in plans to pass the “Green New Deal” bill in the United States. next two years. Specific measures include: large-scale introduction of renewable energy, collection of taxes on carbon emissions, withdrawal of capital from domestic and foreign coal industries, and promotion of employment in green industries. However, Moon Jae-in’s “Green New Deal” plan still faces many obstacles.
Japan is the world’s largest LNG importer
Hirata Hitiko, international director of Kiko Network, a Japanese environmental organization, believes: “This (Japan’s carbon neutrality goal) is an important step forward … It can be taken in terms of national policy decisions and between companies and companies. financial institutions. Significant changes.”
Japan’s previous climate strategy relies heavily on technology solutions to control emissions, but provides little detail on how to solve Japan’s dependence on coal. It only promises to use carbon capture and storage for power generation from coal by 2030..
“If Japan does not have a clear date to phase out coal, it will not be possible to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The government must face this reality,” Hirata said.
Japan is the third largest importer of coal in the world, importing 187 million tons of coal in 2019. It is also the world’s largest importer of LNG, importing 77.3 million tons of LNG in 2019.
Due to the growing opposition of the national public to coal-based power in recent years, some power companies have begun using liquefied natural gas instead of coal to generate power in new power plants. For example, Tokyo Gas and Kyushu Electric plan to study a 2000 MW LNG power generation project.
Earlier this month, Jera, Japan’s largest electric power company and a major LNG importer, set a goal of achieving zero emissions by 2050. It will first focus on shutting down old, inefficient coal-fired power plants and plans to introduce ammonia. and hydrogen as auxiliary fuels in its coal and gas power plants to reduce carbon emissions.
United Nations calls for greater efforts to implement emission reduction commitments
For a long time, the Japanese government has been widely criticized by the international community for building or financing coal-fired power plants at home and abroad. At the 25th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change last year, Japan twice won ironic “fossil awards” from the International Environmental Organization’s Climate Action Network because it did not propose a withdrawal plan. of coal power.
The United Nations Environment Program emphasized that global emissions reduction efforts must be increased at least five times the current level to achieve the carbon emission reduction required by the 1.5 ° C target in the next 10 years. The agency called on governments and all stakeholders to take immediate steps to increase implementation of emission reduction commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Under the “Paris Agreement”, countries must report or update their nationally determined contribution targets this year. In March, the Japanese government only kept its previous emissions reduction target, which is to cut carbon emissions by 26% from 2013 levels by 2030, disappointing the international community. The Japanese government stated in a document presented to the United Nations that Japan will make greater efforts in the medium and long term.
Japan’s Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told an online international climate conference in September that, as part of its commitment to the Paris Agreement, Japan is preparing to further expand its emission reduction targets.
(Author: Zheng Qingting edit: and good)
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