Japan's Ambitious Decarbonisation Targets and Energy Plan Overhaul

Japan's government adopted new decarbonisation targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions by over 70% from 2013 levels in the next 15 years, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050. The revised energy plan focuses on increasing renewables and nuclear energy, despite challenges, to meet these ambitious goals.

Japan's government has set ambitious new targets to sharply reduce greenhouse gas emissions, following an updated climate plan endorsed by the Cabinet on Tuesday. The plan aims for more than a 70% cut from 2013 emission levels over the next 15 years, aligning with the country's carbon neutrality goal by 2050.

The updated strategy under the Paris Agreement will be submitted as Japan's Nationally Determined Contribution. However, critical voices have emerged, pointing out the target falls short of requirements to limit global temperature increases. The revised policy emphasizes increasing renewable energy to half of the electricity supply by 2040 while strategically boosting nuclear power usage.

Despite the overhaul of Japan's nuclear energy policy post-2011 Fukushima crisis, restarting reactors poses challenges due to regulatory scrutiny and local opposition. The International Atomic Energy Agency's chief visited the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, highlighting the ongoing efforts to ensure safety. The bid to restart reactors underpins both the country's climate objectives and energy industry needs.