Japan is important to consider on the global energy stage. The country’s emissions footprint is considerably smaller than China and the U.S. While Japan's energy footprint isn't growing as rapidly as India's, it’s still the fifth-largest emitter of any country globally, with emissions representing roughly three to 4% of the global total. Japan's energy system is heavily fossil fuel-based, especially after it cut nuclear power generation from roughly one-third to zero in the aftermath of the 2011 Fukushima incident. 

Today we're diving into the Japanese energy economy and decarbonization efforts with Isshu Kikuma. Isshu has been with Bloomberg New Energy Finance since 2018, and up until last month his role there was Japan Energy Analyst. He just switched his focus to the energy storage world, but clearly brings a wealth of knowledge on Japan, energy, and decarbonization.

We've been doing these geo tours on the pod for a while, covering countries like China, India, Brazil, and Kenya. Just check out our pod archives at the links below.

In this episode, we cover:

• Japan's current power mix and heavy reliance on fossil fuels 
• Decrease in nuclear power generation after the Fukushima incident
• The country's share of renewables
• Challenges and potential of offshore wind in Japan
• Programs and initiatives to encourage emission reductions, including the feed-in tariff scheme
• The structure of Japan's power grid and interconnections between regions
• The role of industry in energy use and emissions reduction
• Japan's emissions targets 
• Market-based levers and consumer programs in Japan, including the RE-100 initiative and EV subsidies
• Japan's funding of coal power plants in other Southeast Asian countries
• Climate change impacts on Japan and resiliency efforts 
• The role of battery energy storage in Japan's power grid
• Geothermal and more

✈️ Travel With Us:

• China’s Role in the Global Energy Transition
• Narendra Taneja on India’s Energy Policies
• Dr. Carlos Nobre’s Roadmap for Brazil’s Climate Future
• Powering Up Kenya

Episode recorded on June 4, 2024 (Published on July 22, 2024)

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant