Climate and Energy Policy in Post-Crisis Japan and the UK

Presentation by Mr Arima Presentation by Professor Hamanaka Presentation by Mr Iwabuchi

The sixth seminar in the 2011 series, Uncertain Futures: The Individual, Society and the State in the UK and Japan, explored the energy challenges facing Japan as the government seeks to address the economic implications of the March 2011 crisis in the Tohoku region. Meanwhile, as a result of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant incident, the nuclear debate in the UK and beyond has intensified with implications for future energy policy. With more than 60 percent of Japanese nuclear power generation shut down since the disaster, Japan must now address nuclear safety issues and the more active pursuit of renewable energy sources. There are voices in both countries that consider ‘nuclear power should remain an important part of the energy mix and an integral part of a low-carbon-economy’ (The Times, 15 March 2011). Others advocate a move away from over-reliance on nuclear power and greater energy diversification. The costs of changing policies, increased subsidies for renewables, and the impact on public spending were addressed by our speakers who represent different perspectives in the climate and energy policy debate.