A Case Study in Local Energy: One Town’s Failed Biomass Dreams

Over the past decade Japan has vigorously promoted biomass energy as a clean and renewable form of energy. But since the start of the war in Ukraine in February this goal has acquired added urgency d...

Diversity vs. Uniformity: An Honest Conversation

In highly-diverse societies such as the United States or Europe, talk of “diversity” in the labor force has been around for a long time. In Japan, the issue is rather different, to put it mildly. ...

New Opportunities in Japan’s Emerging Carbon Credit Markets

In late September, the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) launched a trial run of Japan’s first nationwide carbon credit trading system. The mechanism, based around voluntary credits, is still quite new and ...

Upgrading Japan’s Ports for Offshore Wind Power Brings a New Set of Challenges

Building offshore wind power generation capacity counts among the greatest modern marvels. Each year, across the globe, hundreds of wind turbines are installed in coastal waters as part of the effort...

Japan Ready to Talk Carbon Trading at COP27

COP27 kicks off in Egypt this week. Some participants have come to talk about policy; others to bemoan geopolitics; and more than a few to argue over the validity of various climate actions. Japan, h...