Positions for the International Renewable Energy Agency

Japan

Positions for the International Renewable Energy Agency

I. Combating Climate Change by Increasing Urban Energy Efficiency

Japan, along with member states of the International Renewable Energy Agency, has shown an ongoing commitment to combating climate change through renewable energy development. Urban areas are some of the biggest contributors to the greenhouse gases polluting our climate. To put that into perspective, these areas make up approximately 65% of energy demand globally, and contribute an estimated 70% of the planet’s carbon emissions.[1]Nationally, Japan has engaged in efforts to reduce the nations carbon footprint by placing significance on the development and advancement of our public transportation sector. Furthermore, Japan, in conjunction with their strict vehicle inspection measures laid out by the Shaken Law, has engaged in a campaign to ensure that citizens who choose to drive personal vehicles, follow the governments “10 Tips for Ecodriving” in order to significantly reduce the transportation sectors contribution to national carbon emissions.[2] Additionally, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG), has continued its commitment to reducing the city’s estimated 62 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions by implementing a cap and trade system on building construction within the city.[3]Internationally, Japan has continued to move forward on its pledges to member-states and the greater international community in significantly reducing its carbon emissions nationally. In order to align with international emission reduction goals, the Japanese government implemented the Joint Crediting Mechanism (or the Bilateral Offset and Crediting Mechanism). Under this system the government of Japan will subsidize up to 50% of the installation costs of renewable energy technologies in return for half of the total emissions credits from said projects.[4] Systems like this have led to groundbreaking technologies such as floating solar photovoltaic farms. As a result, incentivizing new renewable energy technologies further affects the efficiency of an urban renewable energy grid. Moving forward, Japan looks forward to working with member states on recommendations for the international community to engage in similar practices to our eco-driving campaign as well as the JCM system. These suggestions promote a means to begin transforming automobile development towards more energy efficient and environmentally friendly modes of transportation.

II. Assessing the Socio-Economic Impacts of Wind and Solar Energy

From the founding of the International Renewable Energy Agency, to our involvement with the Paris Agreements and the Kyoto Protocol, Japan has overwhelmingly been a proponent of renewable energy. From a speech given by the Dr. Matsubara, Chief Researcher of the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies (ISEP), on moving Japan towards 100% renewable energy, “wind power generation started to be introduced in the 1990s and gradually increased in the 2000s, and the cumulative installed capacity is now about 500 gigawatts, equivalent to 500 nuclear reactors. Meanwhile, solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation started to increase about a decade ago. The cumulative installed capacity is about 300 GW, and the increase is coming at a pace faster than wind power.”[5]Nationally Japan, in an effort to adhere to Paris climate agreements, has begun the development of floating solar photovoltaic farms. Through a partnership with the combined forces of the companies Kyocera TCL Solar and Ciel et Terre, Japan has engaged in fifteen floating solar projects which will specifically benefit our more populated areas by thoroughly increasing energy efficiency.[6] Additionally, the country’s Feed In Tariff (FIT) Act in 2012, has increased the share of energy created in Japan by renewables from 9% in FY2011 to 15% in FY2016. The FIT Act has ultimately lead to a continued trend of renewable energy development which has contributed to the employment in Solar PVs to tripling between the years of 2012 and 2013.[7] Internationally, by maintaining and supporting the commitment to the climate stabilization goals set out by the Paris Climate Agreements and the Kyoto Protocol, this committee has found that reducing the global carbon emissions would boost the global GDP by 0.8%. Furthermore, this committee has found that, the deployment of renewable energies would the overall human welfare by approximately 4%. [8] Additionally, there have been 388 thousand renewable energy jobs created in Japan as well as 3,523,000 jobs created by renewable energy deployment in China respectively. Furthermore, the social and economic impacts of Wind and Solar PV, more prominently, have directly benefited Asian countries such as Malaysia, Republic of Korea, and Pakistan. The deployment of solar energy technologies in the region has had a significant impact on the increases in employment and human welfare.[9] Japan would like to suggest that member states and fellow members of the international community engage in legislative action similar to the Feed in Tariff act. Japan suggests that this has been an overwhelming economic success as it has not only created a new job market for Japanese citizens and mitigated unemployment levels, but it has also helped us to adhere to standards agreed upon in the Paris Agreements, and the Kyoto Protocol. Moreover, Japan would also assert that engaging in corporate partnerships, which work to advance the amount of renewable energy technologies available, could further serve to improve the international human welfare and significantly lower the rates of unemployment on an international scale.

[1] IRENA (2016), Renewable Energy in Cities, International Renewable Energy Agencies (IRENA), Abu Dhabi,

[2]Edahiro, Junko. “CO2 Emissions from the Japanese Transport Sector Already Decreasing｜JFS Japan for Sustainability.” JFS Japan for Sustainability, July 2010,

[3] “Tokyo Climate Close-Up.”, 2014.

[4]Kuramochi, Takeshi. “GHG MITIGATION IN JAPAN: AN OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT POLICY LANDSCAPE.” World Resources Institute, June 2014, pp. 1–29.

[5]“Actions Toward 100% Renewable Energy in Japan｜JFS Japan for Sustainability.” Edited by Nobuhiro Tanabe, JFS Japan for Sustainability, Dec. 2017,

[6]Goode, Brandy. “Japan Sees Potential in Solar Power.” Japan Today, 17 Apr. 2017, japantoday.com/category/features/lifestyle/Japan-sees-potential-in-solar-power.

[7]“Socio-Economic Benefits of Renewable Energy.” Energypedia.info.

[8] IRENA, “Renewable Energy Benefits: Understanding the Socio-Economics.” International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), 2017.

[9]IRENA (2016), Renewable Energy and Jobs - Annual Review 2016.