Reluctance in Renewable Energy

As United Sates Secretary of State, John Kerry, referred to, new report of international forum of scientists on climate change became a wake-up call for countries, obviously including Japan. Its reluctance on increasing the share of renewable energy in all resources makes it difficult in setting an ambitious goal of reducing carbon dioxide emission. Reputation of Japan as one of the top runners in climate change is gradually eroded.

Prescription the scientists delivered was filled with serious warning for the future of the planet earth. The report released by a working group of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted that by 2050 the world would need to reduce greenhouse gas emission by 40 to 70% from the level in 2010 for holding temperature crime within 2 degree Celsius compared to the level of the industrial revolution. To achieve that goal, the panel recommended raising the share of low carbon energy, the renewable and nuclear generation, from current 30% to 80%.

While it was a good news for Japanese government that the panel regarded nuclear energy as a “base load resource,” the expression which the government used in new Energy Basic Plan earlier this month, the goal was too ambitious to implement. For some reasons to protect existing business in Japan, or by lobbying of major industries, the government did not set clear goal for increasing renewable energy. In this country still suffering from serious consequence of nuclear power plant in Fukushima, it is unlikely to raise the share of nuclear power to contribute achieving the goal of 80%.

There are a lot of restraints for renewable energy in Japan. In addition to scarcity of the land, bureaucrats are highly negative in deregulation for turning farmlands into the land for solar generation. They are also reluctant in increasing wind power, attributing it to environmental impacts that include catching wild birds or noise for residents around. Although Japan has a great potential in geothermal, there is no outstanding governmental plan for developing it.

It is likely that Japan keeps on saying “Okay, we’re just doing it.” Minister of Environment, Nobuteru Ishihara, announced Japan’s implementation of the 6% mandate on greenhouse gas reduction in Kyoto Protocol. “Japan reduced greenhouse gas emission by 8.4% in average between 2008 to 2012, greatly exceeded the mandatory line of 6%,” told Ishihara on Tuesday. But the situation now has significantly changed from the time of Kyoto Protocol in 1997. To maintain the structure of national governance dominated by bureaucracy, Japan is stepping down from the status as an environmental leader.