Japan – Leading global businesses has urged the Japanese Government to more than double its renewable energy commitment by 2030 to rapidly accelerate the country’s transition to a clean economy.
Major corporations from the RE100 initiative – led by the Climate Group in partnership with CDP – called on the country’s political leadership to set a new ambitious energy goal to dramatically increase Japan’s renewable energy target ahead of COP26 to 50%.
In an open letter to the country’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, more than 50 RE100 companies – who include some of the world’s best known brands such as Google, AstraZeneca, Nestlé, Ricoh, Panasonic and Nikon – welcomed Japan’s commitment to net-zero emissions by the middle of the century, but stressed that more needed to be done to deliver clean energy for decades to come.
The letter said: “Increasing the 2030 renewable energy target to 50% from 22-24% in the Strategic Energy Plan would send powerful market signals to help jumpstart a green economic recovery. It would also reduce exposure to fossil fuels, which carry hefty price volatility and geopolitical risks. Finally, offering greater corporate access to more abundant renewable energy will help businesses achieve their climate goals, which often align with Japan’s climate vision.”
RE100 members recently cited Japan as one of the most challenging markets in the world because of high costs and limited availability of renewables despite increasing corporate demand for clean energy. The share of renewable electricity among RE100 members in Japan is 14% – compared to 91% in the UK or 39% in India.
As a priority, the RE100 signatories stressed that Japan should strengthen its grid and enable offsite corporate renewable power purchase agreements (PPAs), also proposed by the Japan Climate Leaders’ Partnership (JCLP), to drive down costs and support the country’s Green Growth Strategy.
Corporate PPAs, which speed up the deployment of renewable energy projects at guaranteed cost, have transformed power markets in the US, Europe and across Asia-Pacific in recent years.
