Speaker: Asuka Jusen

Abstract

Unchanged Melody of the Undemocratic Energy/Climate Policy in Japan

Asuka Jusen, Tohoku University

In the immediate aftermath of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, there were high expectations that Japan would undergo an energy transition toward energy democracy—centered on decentralized power sources such as renewable energy and energy efficiency. However, following the political shift back to a Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) government, the energy transition has stalled, and Japan’s energy and climate policies have instead drifted away from the global trend.
Japan’s Basic Energy Plans and its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which outline its GHG emissions reduction targets, have consistently been developed under government and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) leadership. The process has primarily involved advisory councils and committees dominated by members representing the interests of energy supply industries and energy-intensive sectors. National-level public debate has been virtually absent, and there has been little to no discussion of concrete investments, employment impacts, or broader economic implications.
The formulation process of the 7th Basic Energy Plan and the updated NDC, both approved by the Cabinet this January, followed the exact same path—producing energy and climate policies designed to protect vested interests. The government’s energy policy in the 7th Basic Energy Plan has made a complete about-face, shifting from a previous stance of reducing dependence on nuclear power to one of maximizing its use. As a result, Japanese companies that once led the world in the renewable energy sector have all but disappeared. Without transformation of the energy and electricity systems, Japan spent over 30 trillion yen on fossil fuel imports in 2022, failing to achieve either energy security or reductions in energy costs. This clearly constitutes a failure of industrial policy, and the responsibility lies heavily with policymakers.

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