Japan stakes its future on climate innovation to help Asia’s green drive

Experts call on govt to take stronger lead by offering subsidies to private firms

TOKYO From turning recycled clothing into biofuel for cars and using disposable diapers as a substitute for sand to make concrete, to vending machines that suck carbon dioxide from the air, Japan's private sector is not short of innovation to reduce its carbon footprint and that of the Asian region.

The government, for its part, is betting on clean hydrogen, although its nascent technology and low economies of scale mean the cost, from production to distribution, is said to be 10 times higher than that of natural gas.

Japan's success in green initiatives, both by the government and private sector, will be pivotal for the region.

Through the Asia Zero Emission Community (Azec) framework, which includes Australia and all Asean countries except Myanmar, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged in December 2023 to help Asia become greener by leading the development of new green technologies and necessary legal systems.

However the Japanese government has received flak from climate change experts and activists alike for not doing enough to spur innovation in the private sector, whether it is in developing hydrogen as a clean energy source or other green technologies.

Japan was decades ahead of its time on hydrogen, having begun exploring the possible energy source 50 years ago as oil prices surged. But this failed to take off, given the high development costs and low demand from a world then ignorant of climate change.

Hydrogen, which boasts an energy yield 2.75 times higher than fossil fuels and does not emit carbon dioxide when used, is now the government's top green priority focus. While its lead is shrinking, Japan still boasts the most number of patents for hydrogen technology in the world.