The Japanese government has intensified its efforts to address issues caused by climate change over previous years.

To realise Japan's climate neutrality targets by 2050, the Japanese government has implemented various strategies and policies that encourage the industrial and private sectors to increase their reliance on renewable energy sources and reduce carbon emissions from industrial activities.

The UAE and Japan share visions and aspirations to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, and both countries have started mapping out roadmaps to meet their climate targets, promote the role of renewable and clean energy sectors, reduce dependence on oil-based sectors, and transition to a diverse and sustainable economy.

Japan is looking forward to participating in the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which the UAE will host in November.

The conference will aim to address the challenges caused by climate change, support regional and global initiatives to discuss climate-related issues and propose appropriate solutions.

Japan has established a roadmap to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, starting with increasing reliance on renewable energy sources, which accounted for more than 20 percent of Japan's total electricity generation in 2021, with nuclear energy contributing 6.9 percent, according to a report by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

The Japanese roadmap also aims to establish around 100 experimental communities across the country and undertake the necessary measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from homes and businesses by 46 percent by 2030.

As part of its climate neutrality targets, the Japanese government plans to make the installation of solar panels on the roofs of businesses and residential areas a mandatory requirement nationwide from April 2025, and panels are expected to be installed throughout the entire country by 2040.

As part of its efforts to achieve carbon neutrality, Japan aims to make investments worth ¥150 trillion in the public and private sectors by 2033. Various sectors play a key role in supporting the green transformation strategy launched by Japan in 2021, and the private sector is working diligently to reduce emissions in the supply chain and all business activities.

In line with this objective, several working entities in Japan have announced a reduction in emissions from the supply chain and support for green transformation targets. For example, the Softbank Group announced its commitment to rely on 100 percent renewable energy in its business activities and electricity consumption by 2030.

According to METI’s estimates, Japan's public and private sectors require annual investments worth ¥17 trillion, equivalent to US$132 billion, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Achieving these targets necessitates institutional cooperation to realise green transformation across all sectors in the country.

The Japan Climate Initiative (JCI), launched in 2018, is one of the fundamental pillars that helped drive climate action and currently involves more than 700 companies.In terms of supportive government policies to boost the country’s renewable energy market, the Japanese government has implemented several policies aimed at generating 36 to 38 percent of energy supplies from renewable sources by 2030, and in 2020, Japan recorded a 171.04 percent increase in renewable energy generation capacity compared to 2011.