Take action now - Sign our petition!

WWF Japan began the “100% Renewable Energy Campaign” in May 2011, which calls for no new construction of nuclear power plants and the gradual closure of Japan’s 54 existing plants as they reach the end of their operational lifespan - a move which should eventually phase out all the plants by 2050. Simultaneously, the campaign promotes the creation of a society that does not depend on fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, which create massive greenhouse gas emissions and in turn contribute to climate change.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan stated at a press conference on May 10th, 2011, that Japan must go back to the drawing board with the Basic Energy Plan(*). By promoting renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and geothermal power as core energy sources, and calling for the creation of a society more focused on energy conservation, Prime Minister Kan clearly demonstrated his position in favour of a policy shift. However, without further action there is a significant possibility that nuclear and fossil fuel generation could remain major pillars in a revised version of the Basic Energy Plan.

The Japanese government intends to start review of the Basic Energy Plan in September.  The first draft outline is likely to be presented in December 2011 and  the final plan should be finalized in the next year. WWF Japan believes that the following five factors must be incorporated into the revised plan:

1. Goal of 100% renewable energy
2. Increased liberalisation of the electricity market and creation of a next generation system of electricity network to work towards the goal
3. Realisation of a future not reliant on nuclear power
4. Creation of a society not dependent on fossil fuels (oil, coal, natural gas) for energy, in order to mitigate climate change
5. Achievement of sustainable lifestyles without sacrificing convenience through massive energy savings and much reduced energy consumption compared to now.

We at WWF Japan intend to submit this demand to the national government along with the petition signatures that we gather as part of the “100% Renewable Energy Campaign”. We believe that the more signatures we can gather, the greater our chances are of successfully building a society that runs on 100% renewable energy.

The Fukushima nuclear disaster is a problem with global consequences. Support from people around the world will provide the Japanese government with the key decision-making power that it needs to promote a shift toward 100% renewable energy. Therefore, we are calling for petition signatures not only locally in Japan, but globally.