On June 3, Japan Climate Initiative (JCI)* published the message “Now is the time to accelerate the renewable energy deployment – Calling for stronger climate change action in the midst of the fossil energy crisis.” This message is endorsed by 300 organizations (212 companies, 16 local governments and 72 organizations/NGOs, as of June 17).

This statement calls for the promotion of renewable energy development, such as wind and solar power generation, to be placed at the center of the “Clean Energy Strategy” being developed by the government, to enable a 40-50% share of renewable energy in Japan’s energy mix by 2030. 

The third part of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) , finalized this April, states that in order to achieve the 1.5°C target agreed at COP26, it is essential for greenhouse gas emissions to peak by 2025 at the latest, and reduce them by 43% by 2030 (compared to 2019). However, the Japanese energy mix for FY2030 shows that renewable energy sources account for 36-38% of the total (fossil fuels account for a total of 41%, including approximately 20% LNG, 19% coal, and 2% oil). According to the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, the Japanese share of renewable electricity in FY2019 was 18%, so while the goal is to double the amount, it is still not sufficient. 

On the other hand, renewable energy already accounts for more than 40% of Europe’s electricity supply. In order to increase energy independence during the ongoing invasion of the Ukraine, European countries are promoting an initiative (REPowerEU) to wean the EU from dependence on Russian fossil fuels by 2030, and to shift to more sustainable energy sources. The global rapid shift to renewable energy is stronger than ever.

This message is calling on the Japanese government to more vigorously promote the expansion of renewable energy and is supported by a variety of businesses, organizations and various local governments.  

* Japan Climate Initiative (JCI) is a network of non-governmental actors, including Japanese companies, local governments, NPOs/NGOs, and others who are actively working to address climate change issues in order to achieve the Paris Agreement.

 

Link:

【JCI】Now is the time to accelerate renewable energy deployment
-Calling for stronger climate change action in the midst of the fossil energy crisis-