Climate policies after Fukushima: three views

The 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami, and the consequent accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, have had consequences far beyond Japan itself. Reactions to the accident in three major economies Japan, the UK, and Germany, all of whom were committed to relatively ambitious climate change...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Climate policy 2013-03, Vol.13 (sup01), p.36-54
Main Authors: Skea, Jim, Lechtenböhmer, Stefan, Asuka, Jusen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accidents
Capacity
Climate
Climate change
climate change mitigation
Climate policy
Disadvantaged
Earthquakes
Electric power
electricity
Energy
Energy (nuclear)
Energy consumption
Energy policy
Energy usage
Environmental changes
Environmental policy
Environmental protection
Germany
Global warming
Greenhouse gases
Imports
issues and policy
Japan
Natural gas
Negotiation
Negotiations
NGOs
Nongovernmental organizations
Nuclear accidents & safety
Nuclear energy
Nuclear power
Nuclear power plants
Policies
politics
power plants
Public opinion
renewable energy
Risk
Supply & demand
supply balance
Tsunamis
United Kingdom
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Summary:The 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami, and the consequent accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, have had consequences far beyond Japan itself. Reactions to the accident in three major economies Japan, the UK, and Germany, all of whom were committed to relatively ambitious climate change targets prior to the accident are examined. In Japan and Germany, the accident precipitated a major change of policy direction. In the UK, debate has been muted and there has been essentially no change in energy or climate change policies. The status of the energy and climate change policies in each country prior to the accident is assessed, the responses to the accident are described, and the possible impacts on their positions in the international climate negotiations are analysed. Finally, the three countries' responses are compared and some differences between them observed. Some reasons for their different policy responses are suggested and some themes, common across all countries, are identified Policy relevance The attraction of nuclear power has rested on the promise of low-cost electricity, low-carbon energy supply, and enhanced energy independence. The Fukushima accident, which followed the Japanese tsunami of March 2011, has prompted a critical re-appraisal of nuclear power. The responses to Fukushima are assessed for the UK, Germany, and Japan. Before the accident, all three countries considered nuclear as playing a significant part in climate mitigation strategies. Although the UK Government has continued to support nuclear new build following a prompt review of safety arrangements, Japan and Germany have decided to phase out nuclear power, albeit according to different timescales. The factors that explain the different decisions are examined, including patterns of energy demand and supply, the wider political context, institutional arrangements, and public attitudes to risk. The implications for the international climate negotiations are also assessed.
ISSN:1752-7457
1469-3062
1752-7457
DOI:10.1080/14693062.2013.756670