Climate's Harsh Reality and Hopeful Future Solution

Greetings! It's issue 28 of the "Japan Climate Curation" newsletter???

While doing research this week, I realized that there are broadly 2 types of news stories about climate change. Those about the harsh reality we need to learn, and those about solutions that make us feel hopeful for the future.

I know we need both to have a deeper understanding, but I rather felt the stories about hopeful & potential solutions are much more needed to get us more excited and inspire for the better.

So, as an experiment, I put emoji ??????, so that you could easily find which stories are tough realities or hopeful solutions. Let's see how it goes??.

*If you are interested in reading the ????Japanese edition of "Climate Curation", Please check the recent one - "COP27, tech industry layoffs, climate tech, labor migration", and subscribe to it from?this URL, thank you??

• *Please also feel free to contact me (via?DM?or?email?) if there are any research/consulting needs for your business, or just for a coffee chat?.

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[????????Japan Climate News Headlines]

【1】??A former leader in energy efficiency, Japan loses magic touch - Its 10% drop in greenhouse gas emissions due to slow growth, falling population? [2022/11/6 Nikkei Asia *summary by summari]

• Japan once led the world in energy efficiency but now trails far behind Britain and other European countries if one looks at economic output per unit of energy consumed.
• Japan has lowered its greenhouse gas emissions by about 10% over the 30 years through 2020, but the reduction mostly came from slow economic growth and a shrinking population rather than improvements in energy efficiency, as happened in the U.S. The U.S. and Europe have achieved both decarbonization and economic growth by promoting renewable energy. Economic stagnation and policy disarray have left Japan unable to do the same.

【2】???? Honda to test micro EVs geared for mapless self driving - Autonomous micromobility vehicles hold promise for next-gen services? [2022/11/3 Nikkei Asia *summary by summari]

• Honda Motor will soon begin field testing microsized electric vehicles equipped for mapless autonomous driving as part of an initiative to develop next-generation mobility services.
• Honda conducted a demonstration of micromobility machines. One was a single-seat minicar that looked like a shrunken phone booth. There were also a two-seat minicar as well as a four-passenger model that resembled a golf cart.

Video Clip ????Honda develops AI self-driving technology [2022/11/2 NHK World]

【3】???? Flying cars prepare for takeoff - Japanese companies among those developing zero-emission electric 'air taxis'? [2022/11/2 JSTORIES]

• eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft) have a number of potential advantages over other conventional aircraft. They can fly lower than planes, are cheaper to operate than helicopters, and have zero CO2 emissions. They could also serve as an alternative means of transportation during emergencies, such as natural and other disasters.
• This September, SkyDrive unveiled the designs for the SD-05, a commercial craft scheduled for launch in 2025. The SD-05 will carry a driver-pilot and two passengers, have a range of around 10 kilometers and reach a top cruising speed of 100 kph.

【4】????? Smaller firms put off emissions cuts as prices soar [2022/11/7 NHK World]

• Many small and medium-sized firms in Japan have been trying to transition to carbon neutrality. But with energy costs soaring, some of the efforts to go green have been put on the back burner.
• Makengineering in western Japan manufactures precision parts. The firm joined a government project that encourages firms to reduce their carbon footprint. Executives had been preparing to install more solar panels for its factory to cut emissions. But the firm's electric bill has been soaring since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The charge in September was 1.7 times higher than last year in yen terms. Amid the rising costs, the firm decided to put off the solar power expansion.

【5】???? ? Japanese firms move ahead with low emissions fuel [2022/11/7 NHK World]

• Researchers at two major Japanese firms have launched tests of a promising new fuel source that could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.Japanese machinery maker IHI and electricity producer Jera have started trials at a thermal power plant in central Japan that mixes ammonia with coal.
• Ammonia does not emit carbon dioxide. Researchers hope the mixture can be readily adopted at existing plants.IHI is also testing power generation that uses only ammonia at a plant in Yokohama City near Tokyo.
• The company managed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by almost 100 percent with simple modifications. The firm hopes to put the technology into commercial use starting in fiscal 2028.

【6】???? A NEW AGRICULTURE: Robot Farmer - Dig More Japan [2022/11/1 NHK World YouTube]

AGRIST - A pepper picking robot that can work around-the-clock could help fill gaps in the fields due to labor shortages.

【7】???? Convenience stores cutting power use to decarbonize [2022/11/7 NHK World]

• Japanese convenience-store chains have been introducing energy-saving measures to do their part for decarbonization.
• Lawson, Seven & I Holdings, as well as FamilyMart have all set a goal of cutting their carbon-dioxide emissions by half from 2013 levels by fiscal 2030.

【8】???? Toyota among most obstructive companies on climate policy 2022? [2022/11/4 electrek]

• Toyota can’t seem to get out of its own way lately. The Japanese automaker ranked among the “world’s most obstructive companies on climate policy” of 2022, with oil giants like Exxon Mobile, Chevron, and leading Russian oil companies.

【9】?? Toyota chief urges Japan govt support in meeting with PM on climate transition? [2022/11/2 Reuters]|?

• Toyota Motor Corp. president Akio Toyoda on 11/2 raised the issue of tax breaks in a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on support for the mobility industry as a pillar of the economy as Japan seeks to cut carbon emissions.

【10】???? China Keeps the Wheels on Toyota’s EVs - The Japanese company has joined Tesla in tapping the country’s vast electric vehicle supply chain, showing just how indispensable it is.? [2022/11/3 Bloomberg ]

• The largest car company on the globe is doubling down in China. Toyota Motor Corp.’s success there, and its plans to tap into the country’s electric vehicle-supply chain, shows how tough it is to circumvent the factory floor of the world — even for top manufacturers.

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??That's all for this week! Thank you for reading(or skimming) ?? , I hope you will have a wonderful week ahead!

• Please feel free to contact me (via?DM?or?email?) if there are any research/consulting needs for your business, or just for a coffee chat?.
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ichi (Hiroyasu Ichikawa)