The Econmist - USA (2021-10-30)

Japan:

Global climate co-operation

Japanisfosteringinnovativetechnologiesandleadinginternational

co-operationtospeedtheworld’sprogresstowardsnetzero.

Themainimageshowsthehydrogensupplychainandtheworld’s firstliquid-hydrogencarriership,theSuisoFrontier
Theinsetimage,bottom right,isCO2-absorbingconcrete,CO2-SUICOM

ADVERTISEMENT

DECARBONISATIONMUSTBECOLLABORATIVE

Climatechangeisanimminentthreat to humankind.“Consider

theworldcrisis,whichisclimate,whichalsoinvolvescovid and
vaccines.Allofthemare majorcrises[for]humanity,”warned

DrSyukuroManabe,oneofthree recipientsofthisyear’s Nobel

Prize inPhysics,atarecent press conference.TheJapanese-
bornprofessor’sresearchonclimatechangehasledto amore

systematicunderstandingofclimatemechanicsandhelped

predict theimpactofgreenhousegasesonglobalclimate
change.Despitetheseadvances,muchworkremainsto halt

globalwarming.

“Internationalco-operationispivotal forachievingnet-zero
emissionsby 2050,” theInternationalEnergy Agency(IEA)

reports inits2021roadmapfortheglobalenergy sector. Each

nationfacesitsownuniquesetofcircumstances,soachieving

carbonneutralityto stemclimatechangecannotbedone
by asinglecountry.Collaborativeinnovationto create new

technologieswillacceleratetheworld’s efforts to decarbonise.

Supportingemergingmarketsanddevelopingeconomies,
whichareexperiencinga rapidincreaseinenergydemanddue

to populationandeconomicgrowth, isalsoimportant.Without

adequateinternationalco-operation,theIEAforeseesthat
globalCO2emissionswillnotfallto netzero by 2050.

Asaresponsiblestakeholderintheglobalsystem,Japanis

steppingupandbuildingalliancesbasedaround internationalco-
operationondecarbonisation.TheUS-JapanClimatePartnership,

signedinApril2021,iscommittedto achievingcarbonneutrality.

Thisincludesincreasingco-operationandinnovationin areas
suchasrenewableenergy, hydrogen,andcarboncapture,

utilisationandstorage,alongwithanagreementto aidthe

transitionto netzero indevelopingcountries.TheEU-JapanGreen

Alliance,alsosignedthisyear, hassimilargoals.

JAPANISSHARINGINNOVATIONONTHEROAD

TOGLOBALCARBONNEUTRALITY

Individually, Japan aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050,

with a 2030 milestone of a 46% reduction from 2013 levels. A

key to reaching these goals is Japan’s Green Growth Strategy,

which was formulated in 2020. The strategy is intended to

drive technological innovation together with economic growth,

promoting major industrial fi elds such as carbon recycling

and hydrogen. From 2010 to 2019, Japan has fi led over 9,000

renewable energy-related patent applications under the

Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), more than any other country,

and the Green Growth Strategy will accelerate its innovation

even further. CO2-absorbing concrete, “CO2-SUICOM”,

developed by Kajima Corporation, is one example of a creative

Japanese innovation. Japan is also ready to work together

with other countries and international organisations to deploy

these innovations worldwide.

Onearea where Japanisleadingtheway isintherealisationof

a“hydrogensociety”—asocietyandeconomypoweredmainlyby

“The creation of a hydrogen economy

can signifi cantly move the needle against

climate change.”

David Crane, director, JERA

Production Transportation Storage Utilisation