Fukushima still looms over energy decisions
Japan ignores strategic low-carbon energy options and risks muddling through by adding more coal
The surprise resignation of Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe due to illness, just over a year before elections scheduled for October 2021, creates possible inflection points for a policy overhaul in a country dogged by energy insecurity. Yet Japan’s conservative and self-reinforcing political culture, in which getting along is more important than strategic vision, means we are likely to see more of the same. Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will choose a successor to Abe on 14 September, with chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga favoured to take over and therefore likely be in power until the elections. If Suga is able to provide a sense of continuity with Abe's tenure, it w
Also in this section
28 March 2024
The country’s largest gas field is a bright spot for the North Sea, boasting cleaner operations amid a changing mood in Europe over hydrocarbons
28 March 2024
Whether OPEC+ starts to unwind its oil production cuts from June will depend on heavily debated unfolding supply-demand balances
28 March 2024
As a gas supply shortfall looms, balancing regulatory flexibility with energy security and investor confidence will be critical
27 March 2024
Oil producers have to untangle the increasingly complicated relationship with their natural resources