Japan's clean coal-de-sac

Japan’s advanced coal technologies are cost-prohibitive and do not align with the country’s net-zero pledge, writes Jacqueline Tao, Analyst at TransitionZero

In October 2020, former Prime Minister of Japan Yoshihide Suga announced that Japan would become net-zero by 2050, signaling a critical turning point in the country's energy system. The announcement was made against a backdrop of various challenges; a volatile global energy market, unfavourable economic circumstances, and global supply chain shortages.  In order to meet its net-zero pledge and be consistent with the IEA's net-zero scenario, rapid decarbonisation of Japan's power grid is required. However, Japan's heavy reliance on coal poses significant challenges for the world's third-l...