Emissions Down 4%: Japan Ranks Lowest in Climate Action Urgency Poll
Japan's progress on climate change with record-low emissions, alongside growing use of renewable and nuclear energy. 🎧AI-powered audio version is available in English and Japanese!
*Editor’s note: This article was originally published on 5/1/2025 on Linkedin.
Welcome! I'm Hiroyasu Ichikawa, ichi, and this is issue 150 of the "Japan Climate Curation" newsletter📬, which has been curating hand-picked Japan-related climate news content every week since spring 2022, with over 450 subscribers [ more than 2,810 on Linedin]. You can subscribe by clicking on the Linkedin page or the form below.
I hope you find the articles below beneficial for reading (or skimming)!
Found this week's news insights valuable? Please give it a quick "like" or "share" on LinkedIn – you never know who else in your network might benefit from staying in the loop on Japan's climate scene🙂🙇
*Disclaimer: Generative AI tools such as Claude Sonet 3.5 has been used for summary and translation assistance 🙂
【Digest of this week's topics】
This week highlights Japan's progress on climate change with record-low emissions, alongside growing use of renewable and nuclear energy. Energy policies show contrasts: approving the restart of a nuclear reactor while investing in controversial synthetic fuels and exploring carbon storage in Malaysia. The transportation sector faces disruption as Chinese EV maker BYD enters Japan's kei car market. Rising heatstroke deaths prompt government alerts, yet Japanese citizens rank lowest globally in perceiving climate action urgency despite high concern about impacts. These developments frame both the nostalgic Osaka World Expo and the forward-looking SusHi Tech Tokyo event showcasing sustainable innovations.
【Note】I'm sorry for missing last week's newsletter. I recently attended an insightful workshop on climate media hosted by ClimateXchange in Kuala Lumpur, where I collaborated with journalists and media professionals from across Asia. This organization is pioneering culture-centered approaches to climate journalism through data-driven content and cross-regional partnerships. I'm looking forward to applying these valuable insights to improve the newsletter. My sincere thanks to all organizers and participants for this enriching experience!🤞🙂🌏
🌟Thanks to NotebookLM, here's the audio version of Japan Climate Curation 🙂!
[🇯🇵📰👀Japan Climate News Headlines]
【1】 📉 Japan's greenhouse gas emissions fall 4% in FY23/24 to record low [04/25 Reuters]
Japan's greenhouse gas emissions fell 4% to 1.071 billion tons in fiscal 2023/24, the lowest since records began in 1990, marking the second consecutive year of decline. Industrial sector emissions decreased by 4%, the commercial sector by 6.2%, households by 6.8%, and transportation by 0.7%. Japan, the world's fifth-largest CO2 emitter, aims to reduce emissions by 46% from 2013 levels by 2030, having achieved a 23.3% reduction so far. Renewable energy accounted for 22.9% of electricity generation, up 1.1 points. Nuclear power accounted for 8.5%, up 2.9 points, while thermal power decreased to 68.6%, down 4 points.
Source: Japan’s National Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removals in FY 2023 [4/25 Ministry of the Environment]
【2】 🌡️ Japan begins annual heatstroke alerts [04/23 NHK World]
Japan's government launched its annual heatstroke alert program on Wednesday. The conventional Heat Stroke Alert is issued when high temperatures and humidity pose health risks, while the Special Heat Stroke Alert is issued for extremely severe heat conditions. The program ends on October 22. Due to global warming, Japan's average summer temperature is increasing, with the summers of 2023 and 2024 being the hottest on record since 1898. Heat-related deaths are increasing, with 1,477 deaths in 2022, 1,651 in 2023, and 2,033 in 2024. Japan has revised its Climate Change Adaptation Act to strengthen measures against heatstroke.
【3】 📊 Japan ranks lowest in global poll on perceived climate action urgency [04/22 NHK World]
A survey by Ipsos across 32 countries found that Japan ranked lowest in perceiving the urgency of climate action. Only 40% of Japanese respondents agreed that individuals must act now to avoid failing future generations, compared to the global average of 64%. Similarly, only 42% felt their government should act immediately. Paradoxically, 81% of Japanese expressed concern about climate impacts, 7 points above the global average. Professor Emori suggests that people feel their actions can't make a difference, despite growing concerns about heat waves and disasters.
【4】 🏭 Japan to ship CO2 emissions to Malaysia for storage underground [04/28 Nikkei Asia]
Japan and Malaysia are finalizing an agreement to store carbon dioxide underground, with plans to transport liquefied CO2 from Japan to depleted offshore gas fields in Malaysia by 2030. Mitsui & Co., Kansai Electric Power, and Petronas will collaborate to store up to 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually across three sites. Despite expanding renewable energy use, Japan will still rely on fossil fuels for 30-40% of power generation by 2040, making carbon sequestration crucial for its net-zero goals. The government estimates that ¥4 trillion ($28 billion) will be needed over the next 10 years, with private investment supported through green transformation bonds.
【5】 🛢️ Alaska LNG, white whale of US-Japan ties, key to tariff talks [05/01 Nikkei Asia]
The Alaska LNG project has reemerged as a key topic in US-Japan relations as preparations advance for a second round of negotiations on Trump's tariff plans. Despite previous failures, Japan needs to find ways to involve other Asian countries. With an annual production capacity of 20 million tonnes and a short 7-day shipping time to Japan, bypassing geopolitical chokepoints, the project offers advantages. However, commercialization faces challenges, including Arctic development, a $44 billion price tag, and the reluctance of major energy companies. For Japan, the project serves as a bargaining chip against potential automotive tariffs.
【6】 ⚗️ Japan Embraces Lab-Made Fuels Despite Costs, Climate Concerns [04/21 Bloomberg Green]
Japan's major utilities argue that lab-created fuels, such as "e-methane" and "syngas," enable the transition to cleaner energy while extending the life of existing fossil fuel infrastructure. These synthetic fuels combine hydrogen with CO2 and can use existing gas networks. Companies like Osaka Gas showcased these fuels at the Osaka Expo, claiming they could transform without compromising energy security. Critics call them expensive distractions, arguing that Japan should accelerate its shift to renewable energy instead. J-Power plans to install coal gasification systems by 2028, but carbon capture and storage present technological and economic challenges.
【7】 🔋 BYD takes on Japan's minicar market with cheap, in-house batteries [04/23 Nikkei Asia]
Chinese EV maker BYD plans to enter Japan's kei minicar market, sending shockwaves through the Japanese auto industry. Kei cars account for 40% of new car sales in Japan, with Nissan's Sakura and Mitsubishi's eK X dominating over 40% of Japan's EV market. BYD leverages its in-house "Blade Battery" technology for price competitiveness. Since entering Japan in 2023, BYD's sales grew 54% in 2024, but they still account for only 4% of Japan's EV market. While foreign manufacturers have criticized kei standards as trade barriers, BYD is recruiting Japanese talent, raising concerns about technology drain similar to what happened in the LCD industry.
【8】 ☢️ Japan Approves First Restart of a Nuclear Reactor in Four Years [04/30 Bloomberg]
Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority approved the first nuclear restart since 2021, clearing Hokkaido Electric Power's Tomari No. 3 reactor as meeting post-Fukushima safety standards. The company's president expects a restart in 2027. Despite the government's recent approval of a new energy strategy to maximize nuclear power use, restarts have been slow following the 2011 Fukushima disaster, with fewer than half of Japan's 33 operable reactors resuming operation due to lengthy regulatory checks, upgrades, and local opposition. The Tomari reactor has been shut since 2012.
【9】 🏯 At World Expo, Japan Recalls a Faded Dynamism [04/20 The New York Times]
The 2025 Osaka World Expo opened 55 years after the 1970 event, which symbolized Japan's postwar economic prosperity and attracted 64 million visitors. Today's Japan faces population decline, aging, and economic stagnation. The current Expo exceeded its budget by $1 billion and ticket sales are lagging. President Trump's announcement of 24% tariffs on Japanese goods cast a shadow over the event. While many look back fondly on the excitement of 1970, they hope this Expo might inspire optimism for the future.
【10】 💻 SusHi Tech Tokyo 2025 on May 8-10 [SusHi Tech Tokyo 2025]
SusHi Tech Tokyo 2025 is just around the corner, scheduled for May 8-10, with a focus on sustainable high-tech innovations and startups. Detailed schedules and speaker lists are available in English on the official website. I will be at the venue on May 8 and 9, so please feel free to say hello if you're attending. If you haven't purchased tickets yet, I have some discount codes available—please reach out to me directly.
📬That's all for this week! Thank you for reading(or skimming) 🙇. I hope you will have a wonderful week ahead!
Did you found this week's news insights valuable? Please give it a quick "like" or "share" on LinkedIn – you never know who else in your network might benefit from staying in the loop on Japan's climate scene🙂🙇
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ichi (Hiroyasu Ichikawa)