Japan Press Weekly

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2024 October 23 - 29 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Japan lags behind in promotion and use of renewables

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

In creating a national energy policy, it is essential to be oriented toward overcoming the climate crisis which is an existential threat to humanity.

The United Nations repeatedly calls on major industrial countries, including Japan, to phase out coal-fired power generation by 2030 because it emits large amounts of carbon dioxide. Japan, however, is the only G7 state that has not set a deadline.

At the same time, Japan is lagging far behind in the introduction of renewable sources of energy. Of all electricity production in Japan, only 24% comes from renewable energy sources while it accounts for 46% in the U.K., 52% in Germany, and 66% in Canada. Japan, if it continues with the energy policy implemented by the LDP-led government, will fall further behind the rest of the world in the use of renewables.

Japan’s major power companies, in order to maintain coal-fired power and nuclear power generation, have been curbing the output from renewable energy on the grounds that electricity supply “exceeds” demand.

The amount of renewable energy being lost in Japan for this reason is equivalent to the annual consumption of 580,000 households accounting for 75 billion yen in household electricity bills. A principle that gives priority to the use of renewable energy should be established.

The Japanese Communist Party in its “Strategy 2030” proposes a 50-60% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030 through the strengthening of energy-saving measures and a drastic increase in the use of renewable energy.

The strategy proposes to:

- Promptly shut down nuclear power plants, systematically withdraw from coal-fired thermal power generation, and reduce the amount of power produced by nuclear and coal-fired power generation to zero by 2030;

- Prevent major power companies from opposing support for the introduction of renewable sources for electricity and from curtailing the output of renewables;

- Require large-emitting industries and business establishments to sign an “agreement” with the government to set their reduction targets, lay out plans to cut their emissions, and make public the progress of their plans.

Past related articles:
> JCP calls public attention to its strategy for 50-60% CO2 cut by 2030 [September 23 & 24, 2021]
> JCP publishes strategy to tackle climate crisis as part of platform for forthcoming general election [September 2, 2021]