Japan’s total electricity consumption in 2018 was recorded to be 1012.75 Terawatt hours (TWh), an increase of 22.03% compared to 1990 levels. This figure had been steadily increasing since 1990, ultimately reaching a peak in 2010 at 1123.75 TWh (IEA, 2020). Ever since, electricity consumption has been decreasing slightly; this trend can be attributed to...
Category: Japan News Brief and Action Alert
Since 1990 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Have Increased by 2.7% in Japan
Latest Reported Greenhouse Gas Emission Level: 1.213 billion Metric Tons of CO2 in 2019: an increase of 2.7% over 1990 Levels (Source: National Institute for Environment Studies) According to the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2018 was 1,240 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (Mt CO2 eq.)....
New Prime Minister Declares Japan will Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions to Zero by 2050
As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe, Japan has since experienced several significant climate disasters and adopted new policy changes. In this report, we are highlighting some of the most significant changes. In late summers and early autumns, Japan is often hit by tropical cyclones that devastate regions along the coasts with very heavy...
Japan Spotlight: The National Institute for Environmental Studies and The Renewable Energy Institute
Climate Change Research in Japan is mostly concentrated in universities and designated Climate Policy research institutions around the country. Here, we introduce the two major research institutions and their research on Climate Change. The National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES:国立環境研究所) was established in 1974 as a focal point for environmental research in Japan. In 2001,...
The Global Economic Slowdown Threatens the Growth of Green Jobs in Japan
Climate adaptation and resilience stand out as rapidly emerging areas of employment as the effects of climate change are felt worldwide. According to the UNEP, green jobs are defined as “positions in agriculture, manufacturing, R&D, administrative, and service activities aimed at substantially preserving or restoring environmental quality”. They seek to protect the environment and conserve...
Extreme Weather Events Surfaces Climate Needs of Elderly and Those Living Near Flood-Prone Areas in Japan
Over the past decade, Japan has experienced a variety of record-breaking extreme weather events, confirming how catastrophic climate change is. Japan is a country prone to disasters and rains, which has grown increasingly intense in recent years due to global warming. The most recent example is the torrential rain caused in Kyushu in July 2020....
Japanese Government Neglecting Climate As It Seeks to Bailout Ailing Tourist Industry
2020 was predicted to be a splendid year for tourism in Japan. Since Tokyo would be hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the government had aimed to attract a record-high 40 million visitors. Even in January, hotels, ryokans, and airlines were eagerly rolling out promotional campaigns and preparing for an influx of travelers. However, as...
Japan’s Planned Relief Packages Lack Any Mention of Energy Transition
The COVID-19 pandemic has become the defining global health crisis of our time, with deep social and economic implications in the years to come. The Bank of Japan has warned that it could plunge the country into deep economic stagnation. According to a survey carried out by Teikoku Databank (TDB), more than 10,000 Japanese businesses...
Japan is Moving Too Slowly in Efforts to Decarbonize the Energy Sector
In 2019, energy-related CO2 accounted for approximately 90% of Japan’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Under the Paris Agreement, Japan has committed itself to a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) of reduction in GHG emissions compared to 2013 – 26% by 2030 and 80% by 2050. Eventually, it hopes to achieve net-zero emissions “as early as...
Japan Pioneers First Urban-Based Emissions Trading System
At the government level, a tax on oil-based products and energy resources such as gas, LPG, coal and others has been charged at the rate of 289 yen per tCO2, starting from 2012, in Japan. The tax raised is being used to help support the building of energy-efficient infrastructure, renewable-energy production, and other measures to...