摘要：In order to achieve the targets in the Paris Agreement, it is important to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions drastically. Because in Japan most GHG emissions result from energy consumption (88.6% in2015), de-carbonization of energy systems is crucial, and there are strong hopes for technological innovationin energy supply and demand to help the targets be reached. Japan has already undertaken various kinds oftechnological development and implementation in society via both the public and private sectors, and theseactivities have contributed to the reduction of energy consumption and GHG emissions in Japan. Forexample, the total energy consumption in the latter half of the 1990s and first half of the 2000s was around550－560 million tons of oil equivalent (Mtoe), decreasing to 502 Mtoe in 2015 through comprehensiveenergy saving measures and actions to reduce GHGs. Even so, development of innovative technologies isstill needed for further GHG emission reductions. In the past, technological measures focused on devicessuch as those involving hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, or batteries and renewables, but research anddevelopment (R&D) is now focused on systemized technologies. One example is energy monitoring systemsin conjunction with energy management, and another is local energy networks with renewables anddistributed energies such as gas cogeneration and biomass boilers. Low carbonization of energy systems isthe key to both GHG emission reduction and achieving a global low-carbon society. Materialization ofinnovative technologies is also needed for building a low-carbon society, and Japan’s experience andexpertise in technological R&D could be the first step in the right direction and will go a long way towardproviding a foundation for impressive GHG emission reductions and establishment of a low carbon-societynot only in Japan but also all over the world.
关键词：climate change mitigation;emission reduction;energy system;system transition;technology development
