The Japan NRG team takes a look back at the major energy sector milestones and developments of 2025. The most significant event took place not in Japan, but across the Pacific in the United States when Donald Trump entered the White House in January. Since then, the American president has radically transformed the overarching tone and trajectory of global energy markets.

Fossil fuels have made a comeback across the globe and climate-friendly energy sources now face reduced budgets amid rising costs and supply chain challenges. New estimates by Rystad now claim that net-zero is highly unlikely by 2050 but rather closer to 2070. Still, Japan remains committed to decarbonizing its energy generation sector and industrial base as set by law – 2050.

For Japan, decarbonization is not only a climate action – it’s a way to improve energy security as well as deliver new technologies. But the availability of affordable energy also underpins Japan’s high-tech and digital ambitions and the government budget looks more stretched than ever.

So, as the rocky GX road to clean energy continues, which sectors have the biggest momentum?