On June 5, 2020, the Japanese Cabinet approved the Fiscal Year 2019 Annual Report on Energy, known as “Japan’s Energy White Paper 2020”, which was created by the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE) under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). In accordance with Article 11 of the Basic Act on Energy Policy (Act No. 71 of 2002), ANRE publishes and submits the white paper to the National Diet on an annual basis. It highlights the current energy trends in domestic and global markets, and provides a general overview of the major initiatives that were implemented in the previous fiscal year.
The FY 2019 Japan’s Energy White Paper emphasizes the following areas:
· The progress of the recovery and reconstruction in Fukushima Prefecture, such as supporting the victims of the nuclear accident, cleaning up contaminated water, and decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
· Japan’s measures to strengthen the resilience of the energy infrastructure to the potential risks of damage by natural disasters, such as improving regional power networks
· Japan’s implementation of global warming countermeasures in accordance with the Paris Agreement
The White Paper also discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the global oil market and highlights the importance of ensuring a stable international crude oil market. In addition, it compares the current progress and situation of Japan’s CO2 emission reduction efforts to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets with the progress made by the European Union (EU) and other major countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and Germany. It notes that Japan ranked No. 1 in the G7 reduction rate of demand-based CO2 emissions from 2013 to 2015.[1] [2] [3] [4]
[1] https://www.meti.go.jp/press/2020/06/20200605002/20200605002-2.pdf
[2] https://www.oecd.org/sti/ind/carbondioxideemissionsembodiedininternationaltrade.htm
[3] https://www.meti.go.jp/press/2020/06/20200605002/20200605002.html
[4] https://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2020/0605_001.html