The Japanese Energy and climate policy has undergone important transformation since the 2011 Great Earthquake and the shutdown of nuclear power plants following the Fukushima accident. A set of measures has been introduced for promoting renewable energy development in the power mix, targeting a share of 22-24% share in 2030. These measures resulted in a rapid growth of solar PV (34 GW operating in 2015 as a total and further 68 GW registered capacities). However, the country is still facing several challenges, which could potentially limit further renewable energy development and endanger Japanese climate commitment.
Against this background, Agora Energiewende initiated in 2016 a partnership with the Japanese Renewable Energy Institute (former Japanese Renewable Energy Foundation JREF), with the goal to transfer expertise and deepen information exchanges about the ongoing energy transition in Germany and Japan. Furthermore, Patrick Graichen is Member of the German-Japanese Energy Transition Council (GJTEC), a high-level-dialogue and research platform, gathering German and Japanese experts on energy issues.