BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH SDG 7

Japan has a distinctive relationship with SDG 7 as a high-technology, highly energy-efficient economy with very limited domestic energy resources. Japan has long promoted energy efficiency and technological innovation to compensate for its dependence on imported fuels. However, its energy self-sufficiency rate was only 15.3% in FY2023, leaving the country particularly exposed to international energy prices, geopolitical tensions and disruptions to fossil-fuel imports (Agency for Natural Resources and Energy [ANRE], 2025). 

Nuclear power historically played an important role in reducing this vulnerability, but the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster fundamentally transformed Japanese energy policy. The shutdown of the nuclear fleet contributed to Japan’s energy self-sufficiency falling to just 6.3% in 2014 and increased dependence on imported fossil fuels. Since then, Japan has gradually restarted approved nuclear reactors while simultaneously expanding solar, wind and other renewable sources (ANRE, 2025; International Energy Agency [IEA], 2025).

CURRENT CHALLENGES AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Japan’s central challenge is therefore balancing energy security, decarbonisation and nuclear safety. Fukushima created strong public and political concerns surrounding nuclear power, yet Japan’s limited domestic fossil-fuel resources make nuclear energy attractive as a stable low-carbon source. The government’s Seventh Strategic Energy Plan consequently calls for the maximum utilisation of both renewable and nuclear energy, while requiring nuclear reactors to meet strengthened safety requirements before restarting (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, 2025; IEA, 2025). 

At the same time, Japan is investing heavily in advanced clean-energy technologies, including perovskite solar cells, floating offshore wind, next-generation geothermal power, batteries and advanced nuclear reactors. Under its 2040 outlook, renewables are expected to provide approximately 40–50% of electricity generation, while nuclear power is expected to provide around 20%. Japan therefore represents an important SDG 7 case of a technologically advanced country attempting to achieve energy security through a diversified combination of energy efficiency, renewables and a cautious nuclear revival after Fukushima (ANRE, 2025). 

LIST OF REFERENCES 

Agency for Natural Resources and Energy. (2025). Energy Trends 2025 - Overview of Energy Supply and Demand. Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://www.enecho.meti.go.jp/about/energytrends/202506/html/s-1-1.html

Agency for Natural Resources and Energy. (2025). The Seventh Strategic Energy Plan. Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan. https://www.enecho.meti.go.jp/category/others/basic_plan/pdf/2025_strategic_energy_plan.pdf

International Energy Agency. (2025, April 28). Seventh Strategic Energy Plan - Japan. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://www.iea.org/policies/25689-seventh-strategic-energy-pla

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. (2025, February 18). Cabinet Decision on the Seventh Strategic Energy Plan. Retrieved on October 20, 2026, from https://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2025/0218_001.html