Japan Renewable Energy Foundation

Keys to Establishing aSustainable Energy Society
December 8, 2012
United Nations University U Thant Hall

Takejiro Sueyoshi
Executive Board Vice-ChairJapan Renewable Energy Foundation

Issue 1:
How to share the sense of crisis
with the world

December 8, 2012

Keys to Establishing a Sustainable Energy Society2World Bank Report
Turn Down the Heat

December 8, 2012

Keys to Establishing a Sustainable Energy Society

3Warning from the World Bank
A new World Bank report (Nov. 18, 2012)▪ “Present emission trends put the world plausibly on apath toward 4℃ warming within this century”▪ Inaction on tackling climate change will trigger a criticalchange▪ “A 4℃ world can, and must, be avoided”

December 8, 2012

Keys to Establishing a Sustainable Energy Society

4Warning from the IEAInternational Energy Agency’s World Energy
Outlook 2012 (November 2012)▪ BAU: 3.6℃ warming▪ “If action to reduce CO2 emissions is not taken before
2017, all the allowable CO2 emissions (to limit warmingto 2℃) would be locked-in by energy infrastructure
existing at that time”

December 8, 2012

Keys to Establishing a Sustainable Energy Society

5Warning from the OECDTowards Green Growth (May 2011)▪ Natural capital could be depleted under BAU▪ Reproducing damaged natural capital by artificial
means would be extremely costly▪ Going through various crises, the global community has
begun to seek to transform the economy▪ Green economy is the way to protect natural capital

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Keys to Establishing a Sustainable Energy Society6

Hurricane Sandy
Late October 2012
<Likely the 2nd worst damage in history>▪ Severe storm surge despite being a caterogy-1 storm▪ Old social infrastructure▪ NYSE closed for 2 days▪ Subway service not fully restored even after 1 month▪ Buildings in southern Manhattan still closed due to flooding▪ Overall economic damage could reach $80 billion

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Keys to Establishing a Sustainable Energy Society7

Report of Munich Re
October 2012
<North America region>▪ Overall loss burden from natural catastrophes between
1980 and 2011 surpassed $1,000 bn.
▪ Of which the insured losses amounted to $500 bn.
▪ Insured losses per year increased four times from $9bn. in the 1980s to 36 bn. in the 2000s▪ Clearer relations between natural catastrophes andclimate change

December 8, 2012

Keys to Establishing a Sustainable Energy Society

8Issue 2:
How to establish a structure foran all-out effort

December 8, 2012

Keys to Establishing a Sustainable Energy Society

9CO2 is not the only issue
Collapse of natural capital▪ More serious global warming▪ Reduction/loss of biodiversity▪ Water and other natural resources facing crisis /depletion, etc.

Growing concern over social issues▪ Poverty, widening economic gap▪ Women’s rights, human rights issues▪ Social injustice, inequality, etc.
December 8, 2012

Keys to Establishing a Sustainable Energy Society

10Incorporation of natural capital
accounting
Outcome of Rio +20
1. The Natural Capital Declaration▪ Natural capital is the source of wealth and economicgrowth▪ Work toward a green economy to protect naturalcapital

2. The 50:50 campaign (World Bank)
Calling for incorporating monetary value of natural
capital in GDP and corporate financial accounting

December 8, 2012

Keys to Establishing a Sustainable Energy Society

11Issue 3:
How to prevent Japan fromdropping out

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Keys to Establishing a Sustainable Energy Society12

Japan lost strength in what it
was supposed to be good at
Solar power generation capacity
1995
0.6 mil. KW
2001
1.8 mil. KW
2011 70.0 mil. KW
1. Germany (25); 2. Italy (13); 3. Japan (5)Market share of solar panel manufacturers▪ Top 15 includes 9 Chinese, 2 US, 1 Canadian, and
1 Norwegian firms▪ Japan: Sharp (7th), Kyocera (14th)(REN21)
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Keys to Establishing a Sustainable Energy Society

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Japan’s standing out ofquestion
Wind power generation capacity
1996
6.1 mil. KW
2001 23.9 mil. KW
2011 238.0 mil. KW
1. China (62.77 mil. KW); 2. US (46.91 mil. KW);
3. Germany (29.91 mil. KW); 4. Spain; 5. India …
Japan 2.5 mil. KW (not in top 10)

Market share of wind turbine manufacturers
Top 10 includes 4 Chinese, 2 Danish, and US, Spanish,
German, and Indian firms
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Keys to Establishing a Sustainable Energy Society

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Japan left far behind
Renewable energy power generation capacity bycountry (wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, etc.,
excluding hydropower) at the end of 2011
1. China (70 mil. KW); 2. US (68 mil. KW); 3. Germany (61 mil. KW);
4. Spain (28 mil. KW); 5. Italy (22 mil. KW); 6. India (20 mil. KW);

7. Japan (11 mil. KW)(REN21)

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Keys to Establishing a Sustainable Energy Society

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Issue 4:
How to realize ethical choices

December 8, 2012

Keys to Establishing a Sustainable Energy Society

16Ethics is a habit
Keizaigaku ni nani ga dekiruka (What economics cando) by Prof. Takenori Inoki▪ Free will is a prerequisite for ethics▪ Ethical decision is meaningful only when choices arepossible based on free will
▪ Ethical excellence, or virtue, becomes meaningful only
when it becomes a habit, not an act: Aristotle’s proposition

December 8, 2012

Keys to Establishing a Sustainable Energy Society

17Germany’s Ethics Commission
Ethics Commission “Secure Energy Supply”▪ 17 members include 2 religious leaders▪ Is civilization without nuclear power plants possible forGermany?
▪ Klaus Töpfer, Co-chairperson:- Why do we need to choose nuclear power generation, which
entails high risks for future generations, even there arechoices for safer energy sources?
- Natural energy sources are not only safer but also create
new business opportunities.
December 8, 2012

Keys to Establishing a Sustainable Energy Society

18Thank you

December 8, 2012

Keys to Establishing a Sustainable Energy Society

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