Renewable Power Is Key to Japan’s Energy Security

This report by the Climate Bonds Initiative argues that expanding domestic renewable energy is critical for Japan's national security and strategic autonomy. It highlights Japan's high dependence on energy imports and proposes a pathway to achieve 80% to 90% clean power by 2035-2040 to reduce geopolitical vulnerability and economic risk.

• Japan faces a significant strategic vulnerability due to its extreme reliance on energy imports, which stood at 87.4% in 2024, the highest among major economies. This dependence exposes the nation to risks at strategic chokepoints such as the Malacca Strait, Straits of Hormuz, and Taiwan Strait.
• Japan possesses renewable energy resources that far exceed its demand; solar potential (excluding mega-solar) is 1.5 to 2.3 times annual electricity needs, and floating offshore wind potential alone is 2-9 times that amount.
• The report proposes a clean power plan to reach 60% clean power by 2030 and 80% by 2040. A more ambitious scenario suggests a 90% clean electricity share by 2035, which would involve phasing out all existing coal plants by 2035 and utilizing nuclear power for approximately 20% of generation.
• Increasing domestic clean power could provide substantial economic benefits, including potential savings of up to JPY 3.4 trillion by 2035 by reducing the need for imported fossil fuels, which currently receive approximately JPY 1 trillion in direct annual support.
• To achieve these targets, the report recommends four systematic policy actions: upscaling transmission and distribution capacity, fast-tracking planning and permitting, expanding distributed energy, and using long-term offtake agreements to mobilize low-interest capital.
• Japan has a competitive edge in next-generation solar technologies, specifically perovskite solar cells (PSC), with a government target of 20 GW capacity by 2040 supported by a JPY 157 billion subsidy from the Green Innovation Fund.
• The report criticizes the 7th Strategic Energy Plan for maintaining high thermal power targets (30-40% in 2040), arguing this is inconsistent with the 1.5°C global temperature target and fails to address the energy security challenge of import reliance.

APA

Watanabe, Y., Martini, M., Vázquez, A. D., Vandercamme, L., & Kidney, S. (2026). Renewable Power Is Key to Japan’s Energy Security. Climate Bonds Initiative. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/Japans-Energy-Security_EN_Final.pdf

Chicago

Watanabe, Yumiko, Mireille Martini, Ana Díaz Vázquez, Lilu Vandercamme, and Sean Kidney. Renewable Power Is Key to Japan’s Energy Security. Climate Bonds Initiative, 2026. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/Japans-Energy-Security_EN_Final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Watanabe |first1=Yumiko |last2=Martini |first2=Mireille |last3=Vázquez |first3=Ana Díaz |last4=Vandercamme |first4=Lilu |last5=Kidney |first5=Sean |title=Renewable Power Is Key to Japan’s Energy Security |publisher=Climate Bonds Initiative |date=February 2026 |url=https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/Japans-Energy-Security_EN_Final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{watanabe2026renewable, author = {Watanabe, Yumiko and Martini, Mireille and Vázquez, Ana Díaz and Vandercamme, Lilu and Kidney, Sean}, title = {{Renewable Power Is Key to Japan’s Energy Security}}, institution = {Climate Bonds Initiative}, year = {2026}, month = feb, url = {https://www.climatebonds.net/files/documents/publications/Japans-Energy-Security_EN_Final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }