Report Finds Japan Trailing on Renewables

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — The government’s energy strategy has come under fire yet again, this time from the UK-based think tank Ember. With the European Union ramping up its efforts to meet its clean energy obligations, the Ember report outlines what the government needs to do to catch up.

The EU has progressed far beyond Japan in terms of its renewable energy development.

For example, Japan’s non-nuclear renewable energy goal for 2030–38% of all energy produced in the country–is roughly the same as where Europe stands today. Meanwhile, the EU expects that 69% of its energy will come from non-nuclear renewable sources in 2030.

The EU’s ambitious goals are expected to be made possible by the widespread use of solar and wind power in particular.

Central to the EU’s solar energy strategy is the addition of rooftop solar panels, which it is considering mandating for new residential building construction.

Currently, only about 10% of Japan’s solar capacity comes from rooftop installations.

The Ember report argues that this represents a crucial area of untapped potential in Japan.

Wind power could also help Japan catch up, according to the report. The government’s current renewable energy plans for 2030 anticipate wind power usage at only about 10% of that of the United Kingdom, a goal which Ember argues is far too modest.

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