Japan pledges to become carbon-neutral by 2050

A wind turbine in Yokohama, Japan

Japan, the world’s third-largest economy, will be carbon neutral by 2050, the Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has pledged.

Mr Suga, who took over as prime minister on September 16, used his first policy speech to the Japanese parliament to outline an ambitious plan to cut emissions of greenhouse gases. The plan goes significantly beyond the commitment of the preceding government to reduce emissions by 80 percent by 2050 and to be carbon-neutral “as soon as possible” in the latter part of the century. 

In his address, Mr Suga said: “Responding to climate change is no longer a constraint on economic growth. 

“We need to alter our way of thinking to the view that taking assertive measures against climate change will lead to changes in industrial structures and the economy that will bring about great growth."

To applause from politicians in the chamber, he added: “I declare that we will aim to realise a decarbonised society.” 

Mr Suga did not spell out the details of how Japan, the world’s fifth-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, will become carbon neutral in just 30 years, but he indicated greater efforts to exploit renewable energy resources and to push forward with the nation’s commitment to nuclear energy. 

In tandem with those efforts, the Japanese government intends to encourage the development of next-generation energy technologies, such as large-capacity energy storage devices, carbon recycling and advanced solar batteries. 

With limited natural resources, Japan invested heavily in nuclear energy from the mid-1950s, with the first reactors constructed in the 1970s. By 2010, around 30 percent of the nation’s power was coming from nuclear plants and that was scheduled to rise to 40 percent. 

The disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant in March 2011 forced the government to shut down all 54 nuclear reactors across the country for safety inspections and upgrades to ensure that another earthquake and tsunami could not have the same devastating effect. At present, only nine reactors have returned to operational status. 

Without nuclear energy, Japan has been forced to import coal and natural gas in larger quantities, although it has also been an opportunity for advances in the solar, wind and geothermal power sectors. 

There are, however, questions over whether Japan will be able to reach Mr Suga’s targets.

Mr Suga’s commitment comes after the European Union set itself the same target in 2019, while China declared at the UN General Assembly in September that it would be carbon-neutral by 2060.