In 2021, Japan announced its Green Growth Strategy, setting out a roadmap for key technologies in line with its commitment on carbon neutrality by 2050. Japan has embarked on several initiatives on transformative technology in key sectors, with the aim of ensuring that society can make a smooth transition to net zero. Recently there has been global focus on net-zero, meaning that there is also greater scope and potential for technological cooperation among countries. Japan is technologically advanced in critical sectors, and so can take the lead in initiating regional as well as bilateral cooperation as the world seeks to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Japan has also committed to supporting emerging economies in Asia so that they can make the transition to renewable energy, as well as providing financial support for transitioning to net zero through the Asia Energy Transition Initiative (AETI) and the Energy Transition Mechanism led by the Asia Development Bank.
Here at IGES, our research explores the dynamics of net-zero strategies in countries in Asia and beyond, and we seek to understand what kind of policy changes are required to help accelerate the world toward the net-zero goals, and then work out how and when these policies can best be put into practice. We have vital expertise in core areas such as devising realistic energy transition scenarios in emerging economies, evolving transformative strategies, and developing innovative models for technology cooperation. In this way, IGES will carry out research that can provide actionable insights for achieving carbon neutrality. This special webpage showcases the wide scope of our research and activities related to net-zero.