This week, the Japanese government officially unveiled a strategy to cut emissions by 60% in 2035 and 73% in 2040 compared to 2013 levels.
The plan requires a public consultation period before final approval and is scheduled to be submitted to the United Nations in February 2025. Japan’s current target is to reduce emissions by 46% by 2030. To achieve the 1.5-degree target, the government has also proposed achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
On Tuesday (December 24) local time, Japan’s Environment Minister Keiichiro Asao said at a meeting discussing emission reduction targets, “The most important thing is to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.”
Asao added, “Although there are various opinions on the emission reduction targets, we need to balance decarbonization with economic growth while also considering the impact on future generations and society.”
Data shows that Japan relied on coal and natural gas for over 60% of its electricity generation last year, with slow progress in transitioning to cleaner energy sources. The restarting of nuclear power plants has faced regulatory challenges, and the lack of available land has limited the expansion of solar and onshore wind energy.
Although Japanese government officials proposed a seemingly high proportion of 60% last month, they have still received criticism from the scientific community and climate activists. Some believe that Japan needs to reduce emissions by 66% in 2035 to align with the global target of reducing emissions by 60% compared to 2019 levels.
Some business lobbying groups have called for setting emission reduction targets at 75% or above, while the Climate Action Tracker’s report is even more radical. This observer organization believes that Japan should reduce emissions by nearly 80% in 2035 to help the world achieve the 1.5-degree temperature control target.
In response, officials from Japan’s Ministry of the Environment rebutted at the meeting, “Emission reduction and economic growth need to be achieved simultaneously.”
