On Tuesday, Japan announced an ambitious plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent from 2013 levels by the fiscal year 2035. However, climate activists argue that this target does not meet the necessary benchmarks outlined in the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming.
Under the Paris accord, each nation is expected to submit a headline figure to the United Nations for cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, along with a detailed plan for achieving this goal. As the world’s fifth-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, following China, the United States, India, and Russia, Japan’s commitment is crucial in the global fight against climate change.
The Japanese Environment Ministry stated that the country also aims for a 73 percent reduction in emissions by fiscal 2040 as part of its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), a voluntary commitment to the UN. However, only ten out of nearly 200 nations have submitted their climate plans on time, as tracked by a UN database.
Despite Japan’s claims of aligning its targets with the global goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. “This represents a significant setback in Japan’s transition to a fair and just renewable energy future,” Iyoda remarked. Kazue Suzuki of Greenpeace Japan echoed these sentiments, asserting that a 78 percent reduction is necessary given Japan’s status as an industrially advanced nation.
UN climate chief Simon Stiell has characterized these national pledges as “the most important policy documents of this century,” yet many major polluters, including China and India, have yet to submit updated targets. While there are no penalties for late submissions, these targets serve as accountability measures to ensure countries are serious about their climate commitments.
Japan’s previous commitment involved a 26 percent reduction in emissions by 2030, which was later strengthened to a 46 percent reduction. In conjunction with this latest announcement, the Japanese government also approved its Strategic Energy Plan, which aims to position renewable energy as the primary power source by 2040.
In light of energy demands from burgeoning sectors like AI and microchip manufacturing, Japan intends to maintain a significant role for nuclear power, reversing a prior commitment to minimize reliance on it. The revised plan also includes a collaborative effort with the United States to promote renewable energy and hydrogen fuel, although specifics were altered following the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.
Currently, approximately 70 percent of Japan’s energy needs are met through fossil fuels, a figure the government aims to reduce to 30-40 percent in the next 15 years. Meanwhile, renewable sources such as solar and wind are projected to account for 40-50 percent of electricity generation by 2040, marking a pivotal shift in Japan’s energy landscape.
