This episode of The IR thinker examines Japan’s path to its 2050 net-zero target with Dr Walter James, focusing on how one of the world’s most energy-dependent economies is trying to reconcile climate ambition with structural constraints. The conversation explores the strategic coherence of Japan’s decarbonisation plans, domestic scepticism towards climate goals, and the role of institutions such as the Basic Energy Plan in steering policy. It looks in detail at the political economy of ownership in Japan’s energy sector, the strategic importance of LNG and “LNG diplomacy”, the promise and pitfalls of Japan’s hydrogen society vision, the contested place of nuclear power, and the persistent barriers to scaling renewables, carbon capture and storage, and wider system upgrades. Corporate collaboration, civil society, start-ups and households all feature as key actors in what Japan’s most realistic – and most neglected – decarbonisation opportunities might be.
Dr Walter James is a political scientist and energy policy consultant specialising in Japan’s decarbonisation strategy and the geopolitics of East Asian energy. He holds a PhD from Temple University and has been a research fellow at Waseda University. He leads Power Japan Consulting and writes the Power Japan Substack, and his analyses have appeared in outlets such as The Japan Times, Energy Tracker Asia and East Asia Forum. His work bridges academic research and policy practice, offering nuanced insights into how Japanese institutions, firms and policymakers navigate the intertwined challenges of climate commitments, energy security and regional geopolitics.
Publications:
Liquefied natural gas on a razor’s edge: Japan’s energy security in a tumultuous world
Content
00:00 - Introduction
03:14 - Strategic Coherence: Can Japan Achieve Net-Zero by 2050?
11:06 - Understanding Domestic Scepticism Toward Climate Goals
15:28 - Institutions and Governance: The Role of the Basic Energy Plan
21:03 - Public vs. Private Ownership in Japan’s Energy Sector
25:28 - Who Owns Japan’s Major Energy Companies?
27:43 - The Strategic Role of LNG in Japan’s Energy Transition
31:52 - LNG Diplomacy and Japan’s Geopolitical Exposure
35:53 - Japan’s Hydrogen Society: Vision and Implementation
41:17 - Nuclear Power in Japan’s Future Energy Mix
45:46 - Barriers to Accelerating Renewable Energy Deployment
50:16 - Carbon Capture and Storage: Promise or Distraction?
53:36 - Corporate Collaboration in Decarbonisation Efforts
56:03 - Civil Society’s Role in Advancing Climate Action
01:00:01 - Start-Ups and Innovation in Japan’s Climate Ecosystem
01:01:31 - Households and Energy System Upgrades
01:02:31 - Japan’s Greatest Untapped Opportunity in Decarbonisation
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