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Glasgow COP-26: Japan and Australia Weigh their Energy Options
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 March 2025
Abstract
The 26th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, meeting in Glasgow in November 2021, attracted a high level of global attention because it was, in effect, a meeting uniquely tasked with finding a formula for human survival. This paper considers the proposals from Japan and Australia. Both accepted the need to achieve zero carbon emission by 2050, but neither offered realistic proposals for how that would be done, and the Japanese formula tied the move towards zero carbon to drastic expansion of its nuclear energy sector. This paper discusses the most recent Japanese government energy policy paper, with particular attention to the way that carbon and nuclear objectives are coordinated, and locates Japan and Australia in the context of the global division between pro- and anti-nuclear energy countries.
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References
Notes
1 “Fossil of the Day,” 03 December 2019.
2 Oliver Millman, “Climate Action Network give unwanted prize of worst country at the talks to Australia for its ‘breathtaking ineptitude’,” The Guardian, 13 November 2021
3 METI, “Dairokuji enerugi kihon keikaku,” October 2021.
4 Australian Department of Industry, Science, Energy, and Resources, “Australia's Emissions Projections, 2021.”
5 Australian Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, “Affirming Australia's net zero emissions by 2050.”
6 Mari Yamaguchi, “Japan raises emissions reduction target to 46% by 2030,” Associated Press, 22 April 2021.
7 “1.5C consistent benchmarks for enhancing Japan's 2030 climate target,” Climate Action Tracker, 4 March 2021, 2021_03_CAT_1.5C-consistent-benchmarks_japan_NDC.pdf/
8 Sato Kazuo, “Sosenkyo enerugi seisaku no kiro,” Shukan kinyobi, 15 October 2021, p. 23.
9 Gavan McCormack, “Japan as a plutonium superpower,” Asia-Pacific Journal:Japan Focus, December 2007.
10 California Institute of Technology's Nathan Lewis has estimated that to accomplish a nuclear-driven carbon-free global energy grid by 2050 a reactor would have to be built every two days for the next four decades (quoted in Antonio Regalado, “Re-inventing the leaf,” Scientific American, October 2010).
11 Osamu Tsukimori and Satoshi Sugiyama, “Gov't OK's discharge of Fukushima plant water into sea,” Japan Times, 13 April 2021.
12 Ian Fairlie, “Should TEPCO/Japanese government dump tritium contaminated water from Fukushima into the sea?” 18 September 2019.
13 Spencer Bokat-Lindell, “Is there a nuclear option for stopping climate change, New York Times, 26 August 2021. For a response - not published by the Times - see Amory B. Lovins, ”‘Low carbon’ misses the point,“ Beyond Nuclear International, 3 October 2021.
14 Asuka Jusen, “Genpatsu wa ondanka taisaku ni narienai – senshingata genshi ro o kosuto ga awazu, beikoku e mo tonyu ga nai,” Ronza, 25 May 2021.
15 The gap can only widen through the remainder of this decade to 2030 as costs are expected to fall by over 30% and $100 billion investment flows to wind and solar. (Lydia Woellwarth, “Japan invests in wind and solar power plants,” Energy Global, 19 August 2020).
16 “Taiyoko hatsuden, 30 nen jiten de genpatsu yori yasuku, keisansho shisan,” Nihon keizai shimbun, 12 July 2021.
17 World Nuclear Organization, “Nuclear share figures, 2010-2020.”
18 Ibid. And compare Russia with 38 reactors supplying 20.6 per cent of its energy needs.
19 Dan Murtaugh and Krystal Chia, “China's climate goals hinge on a $440 billion nuclear buildout,” Bloomberg, 3 November 2021.
20 Ibid.
21 Stuart Braun, “Nuclear power: downward trend ahead of climate summit,” Deutsche Welle, 4 October 2021.
22 “China overtook France in nuclear power generation,” World Nuclear Industry Status Report, 2 June 2021.
23 Isabelle Feng, “EDF a sous-estime la culture du secret du regime chinois,” Le Monde, 19 November 2021.
24 “Ten EU nations call for nuclear's inclusion in taxonomy,” World Nuclear News, 11 October 2021.(The countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia)
25 Nikolaus J. Kurmayer, “Austria ready to sue EU over nuclear's inclusion in green finance taxonomy,” Euractiv.com, 17 November 2021.
26 “Macron stresses importance of nuclear energy for France,” World Nuclear News, 9 December 2020.
27 Bevan Shields, “Macron goes nuclear to cut emissions,” Sydney Morning Herald, 10 November 2021.
28 Shields, cit.
29 Latika Bourke, “Industry says reactors are nearly ready,” Sydney Morning Herald, 12 November 2021.
30 Bourke, ibid.
31 Antony Funnell, “Future tense – an update on nuclear energy,” ABC, Radio National, Podcast, 3 October 2021.
32 Linda Pentz Gunter, “Hidden agenda – the unspoken argument for more nuclear power,” Beyond Nuclear International, Online, 31 October 2021.
33 “‘Wind and solar kill coal and nuclear on costs,‘ says latest Lazard report,” Reneweconomy.com.au, 8 November 2019.
34 World Nuclear Industry – Status Report 2020, p. 283 See also David Vetter, “More nuclear power isn't needed, so why do governments keep hyping it?” Forbes, 6 August 2021.
35 Quoted in Pete Roche and Dr Ian Fairlie, “Can Small Modular Reactors and/or Advanced Nuclear Reactors Help Tackle Climate Change?” 26 September 2021.
36 Ella Nilsen, “Biden administration says solar energy has the potential to power 40% of US electricity by 2035,” CNN, 8 September 2021.
37 Peter Hartcher, “Morrison is out of excuses, and time, to act on emissions,” Sydney Morning Herald, 2 October 2021.
38 Frederic Simon and Nelly Moussu, “EU's Simson calls for ‘gearshift’ in nuclear power investments,” 2 December 2021.
39 America Hernandez, “Europe's sputtering nuclear renaissance,” Politico (Europe), 1 April 2021.
40 Lisa Louis, “Do France's plans for small nuclear reactors have hidden agenda?” Deutsche Velle, 22 October 2021.
41 Andy Stirling and Phil Johnstone, “Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine deal exposes civilian-military links,” Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, 9 November 2021.
42 “Jimin, Kishida-shi kaku nenryo saikuru ‘iji shinakereba ikenai’,” Asahi Shimbun, 13 September 2021
43 Quoted in Nick O'Malley and Miki Perkins, “Australia urged to lift 2030 targets,” Sydney Morning Herald, 10 November 2021.
44 Sarah Martin, “Barnaby Joyce says Nationals did not sign COP26 pact and Australia is ‘happy with targets’.” The Guardian, 15 November 2021.
45 National news, ABC TV, 16 November 2021.
46 LDP election pledge, 2021, “2 pasento ijo mo nento ni boei kankei hi no zogaku.” See also “Boeihi GDP 2-pasento cho no jimin seisakushu, kanbo fukuchokan 'hitsuyo yosan kakuho wa kiwamete juyo”, Sankei Shimbun, 13 October 2021.