The following is from an editorial in the Sankei Shimbun that appeared on February 24.
Follow-on decarbonization is dangerous.
This is a proposed amendment to the law that could have irreversible and serious negative effects on Japanese society.
The government aims to submit an amendment to the Diet this session that would modify the current Law Concerning the Promotion of Measures to Cope with Global Warming to include a new goal of "realizing a decarbonized society by 2050.
With the return of the U.S. to the Paris Agreement, there is a growing movement in Europe and elsewhere to achieve virtually zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
The revision of the Act on the Measures to Cope with Global Warming is a move by the Yoshihide Kan administration to follow the international trend. The government may want to show the world that Japan is an environmentally advanced country, but the law's revision lacks a solid backing to achieve the goal.
The "realization of a decarbonized society" is synonymous with "virtually zero emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases.
It means to reduce the amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere by human activities such as industry to the amount that can be absorbed by plants such as forests.
The summit scheduled for April under the leadership of U.S. President Joe Biden and the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to be held in the U.K. in November are expected to win some praise from Western countries as "ambitious goals.
However, the number of nuclear power plants, the most practical way to reduce CO2 emissions, has been reduced to almost half of what it was 10 years ago due to a series of decommissioning.
The number of reactivated nuclear power plants is at a standstill, with only nine units in operation.
How can we realize a coal-free society with an energy mix that lacks a leading player?
If the government is inclined to expand renewable energy, the stable supply of electricity will become a tightrope walk.
This is evident in the nationwide power shortage caused by this winter's cold wave.
In Japan's case, which emits less than 3% of the world's carbon dioxide, the effect of carbon neutrality on the earth's atmosphere will be negligible.
If it can spread Japan's advanced environmental technology to many developing countries, we can expect a significant carbon reduction improvement.
This is also a good opportunity for innovation. However, if the industry's burden increases due to the expansion of high-cost renewable electricity and excessive demands for decarbonization, it will stifle the seeds of research and development.
The transition to a decarbonized society is nothing less than an industrial revolution, and it is an important one that strategically involves the economy and energy security of each country.
For Japan, the use of nuclear power plants that ensure safety is a lifeline.
I strongly urge Prime Minister Kan, Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, and Economy, Trade, and Industry Minister Hiroshi Kajiyama to recognize this when revising the law.
