E-1. Percentage of Renewable Energy and Recycled Energy
1.Current Values
Approximately 1.2% (FY 2002)
2.Current Points (out of a perfect score of 100 by 2050)
12 points
Calculation method:
(Current value - minimum value) / (2050 target
value - minimum value) x 100
3. Explanation of Indicator
Accompanying the growth of the world
economy, energy use and especially the use of
fossil fuels is increasing. Japan has few fossil
fuels; its energy self-sufficiency is about 5%.
In particular, it relies on Middle Eastern imports
for almost all of its oil, which accounts for
50% of its primary energy sources. Among the issues
Japan faces are:
1) A risk of energy shortages due to the depletion
of fossil fuels
2) A risk of wars and diplomatic crises arising
from excessive dependence upon specific countries
3) A risk of global warming and climate change
due to increased carbon dioxide emissions
4) A safety risk posed by waste products
It is essential that Japan improve its energy
self-sufficiency. As effective means for doing
just that and simultaneously reducing the above
four risks, we are focusing on the development
of a variety of renewable energies and recycled
energy and on an improved ratio of use.
4.Target for 2050
10%
5.Ideal for the Future
50%
6. Rationale for Ideal and Target Values
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and
Industry calculates that there is a practical
potential volume of 38~64 million kiloliters of
renewable and recycled energy, and that this could
account for 6-10% of the aggregate primary energy
supply. Accordingly, our target for 2050 is 10%.
As to the ideal, a discussion among experts regarding
the aforementioned four risks is needed. So for
the time being we have presumed a value of 50%,
assuming we will no longer be able to use oil
due to limits on either the "sources"
or the "sinks" and a switch has been
made to that extent to renewable or recycled energy.
7. Source
Paper
presented at the second meeting of New-Energy
Division, General Energy Research Council, Ministry
of Economy, Trade and Industry (2000)(Japanese
only)
8. Notes
"Renewable energy" includes
photovoltaic power generation, solar thermal utilization,
wind power generation, snow and ice thermal utilization,
biomass power generation, biomass thermal utilization
and biomass fuel manufacturing. "Recycled
energy" includes waste power generation,
thermal utilization of waste and waste fuel manufacturing.