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Japan is a priority market for the RE100 campaign, the global corporate renewable energy initiative bringing together over 400 large and ambitious businesses committed to 100% renewable electricity.
In 2023, Japan sourced 69% of its electricity from fossil fuels and the share of wind and solar in the energy mix was just 12%, making Japan an outlier on renewables among its G7 peers. With the backing of our members, RE100 is calling for greater ambition from the government to grow investment in Japanese renewables and slash Japan’s dependence on imported fossil energy. To do this, RE100 launched policy messages specifically for the Japanese market in 2024.
RE100 is working towards zero carbon grids at scale by 2040 and in support of our members’ commitments, we advocate for policy change around the world with a particular focus on geographies where there’s little or no corporate access to renewable electricity, such as Japan. 88 RE100 members are based there and it’s a country where many RE100 members report barriers to procuring renewable electricity.
RE100 sends a strong signal to policymakers in Japan about corporate demand for renewable electricity, a signal that is only growing stronger as we work with members to bring forward their 100% renewable electricity target dates – increasing the urgent need for policy action on renewables. To date, over 20 RE100 members have brought forward their targets by a combined total of over 280 years. 14 of those members are Japanese, one of which is Murata Manufacturing, which recently brought forward its RE100 target by 15 years to 2035 from 2050. A member since 2020, we asked Masanori Minamide, Senior Executive Vice President and CFO who chairs the Climate Change Committee at Murata Manufacturing, some questions about their increase in ambition and what support they need from policymakers to meet their renewables goals.
Why did Murata decide to bring forward its RE100 target date?
“In response to climate change and new scientific knowledge by the IPCC, we decided to bring forward our RE100 target date by 15 years to speed up the reduction of our environmental impact. In addition to the solar power generation equipment installed in our premises, we have been combining Murata storage batteries with our renewable energy control solution efinnos for the effective use of renewable energy and have also been switching to renewable power contracts from the grid. PPA programmes have also greatly advanced compared with last year. Consequently, we have been able to steadily increase renewable energy sourcing. There are four domestic Murata sites and two overseas sites that are sourcing 100% renewable energy.”
What support do you need from policymakers in Japan to meet your RE100 target?
“As Murata manufactures more than 60% of its products in Japan, it’s a major challenge for us to reduce our CO2 emissions. In general, renewable energy in Japan is said to be scarce and expensive. Most of the renewable energy is from older large-scale hydroelectric power plants, which don’t meet the latest RE100 standards (read the RE100 technical criteria here). The challenges for us are: difficulty in securing the amount of electricity, high costs, and limited land suitable for installing power generation facilities in Japan. We expect the Japanese government to support the practical application of new technologies such as perovskite solar cells, geothermal power generation, and floating offshore wind power to help solve these problems.”
Murata now joins 13 other Japanese RE100 members that have brought forward their RE100 target dates, why do you think this is?
“Climate action has become an urgent issue because of the increasing damage caused by climate change. At COP28, it was agreed that the world's installed renewable energy capacity should triple and energy efficiency improvements should double by 2030. While progress in expanding renewable energy in Japan has been slow, in response to these changes in the situation and growing awareness of climate change, there has been a movement by companies to actively lobby the government to expand renewable energy, including via policy proposals from industry groups such as JCLP (RE100’s local partner in Japan).”
What other steps is Murata taking to meet this new target?
“We encourage energy saving throughout the whole group, by actively sharing successful case studies from Murata sites. In addition to installing solar power at our sites as much as possible, we are also studying various methods of renewable energy procurement as well as different power sources. We are considering wind and geothermal power to mix procurement methods, diversify risks and control costs. We also encourage internal programs such as internal carbon pricing (ICP) systems.”
RE100 members like Murata are playing a critical role in accelerating Japan’s energy transition, demonstrating corporate leadership in the shift to renewables. We look forward to continuing our work with members to break down barriers to renewable procurement, driving greater investment in green energy, and pushing for bold policy action on renewables in Japan. Is your company interested in joining RE100 or increasing its ambition? Get in touch with us here.