Power Sourcing
Japan's Race for Resources

 by Willhemina Wahlin and Kaoru Natsuda

It's only natural that in light of the high level of consumption in the developed world in the last 100 years, something was going to have to give. Now, in an increasingly unstable world, where developing nations are quickly developing and developed nations are quietly panicking, governments are beginning to take the idea of resource security very seriously indeed. Japan, one of the world's most resource-poor countries, recently unveiled the New National Energy Strategy (NNES) - an aggressive plan to procure sources of energy to keep its economy humming. The Japanese will use their expertise in energy-efficient technology and such things as Official Development Assistance (ODA) and the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to exploit other countries' energy sources. But they must work quickly. Geopolitical lines are already being drawn in the sand. Japan may have to sacrifice some of its oldest alliances in favor of stronger ties with energy-rich countries.

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Willhemina Wahlin is an editor of J@pan Inc. Kaoru Natsuda, who earned a PhD in Economics from the University of Sydney, is an Official Development Assistance (ODA) researcher for Ernst & Young Shin Nihon in Tokyo.


This article was orginally published in September 2006 for Japan Inc's Autumn Issue (No. 69)

Comments

Von Helvete said…
interesting story. like the race for energy is some how always disconnect from global warming. For every barrel we pump we add x kilo of carbon dioxide along with the methan that comes with it, which is even more of a greenhouse gas than the previous.

"Japan needs to promote oil companies". The fact is that all of the commercial oil companies put together are still supersmall in comparisson to gazprom or aramco.

still it's encouraging that they will develop more efficient technologies. i also think we need to develop a new behaviour, and stop jetsetting to Australia. But that wont stop me.

See you soon
8:22 am
willie101 said…
YEah, it's kind of hard with these stories sometimes because the reality is that people will still drive, one eprson to a car, to work and back, lave all the lights on, get plastic bags at the supermarket (and I'm guitly of the last one, although I don't have a car and I usually turn the lights off!!) BUT!! I am jetsetting off to Australia today, so I take form the system too. So, in saying that, I think it's worth pushing for renewables where we can use them, and not waiting around for clean cola technology to happen or fuel efficiency - we can reduce GHG emissions today if we all get on their case! Australia is the second largest emitter of GHG's per capita int he world, and yet the government has no plan to move Australia away from fossil fuel dependency. Crazy!!! What can I say!!

There's a new story getting published today in the Australian Review of Public Affairs that compares Australia and Japan's energy security and Climate Chnage policies - check it out of you get time!

http://www.australianreview.net.au

Thanks Von Helvete!!!!
11:44 am
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