According to Nikkei Asia, Japan has some big plans in store with regards to eco-friendliness and sustainability. The island nation is aiming to make all new car sales eco-friendly by the mid-2030s as it joins a growing community of nations determined to slow down the world’s ever-growing carbon emissions.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is currently considering the viability of abolishing new sales of conventional cars which are powered solely by internal combustion engines in favour of hybrid and electric vehicles. This goal would be a part of an even wider and more difficult task of becoming a zero-emissions society by 2050.
The government intends for the nation to take a crucial step toward that ideal by mandating electrified vehicles and thus reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
The government intends to announce a policy after it has held a conference with leading experts within the car industry, which includes executives. The conference is currently set to be held in December 2020. Later, it will sort out concrete measures for the transition to more hybrid and electric vehicles.
In 2018, vehicles accounted for 16 percent of Japan’s total emissions. Emissions from planes, ships and trains combined accounted for 3 percent or less.
As of right now, Japan encourages carmakers to improve the efficiency of their vehicles by 30 percent by the end of the 2030 fiscal year. However, the government has seemed to change its mind, believing that more stringent steps are necessary if the country is to meet its zero-emissions goal by 2050.
Some of Japan’s key automakers, such as Toyota Motors, have already made advanced hybrid systems a pillar of their new-energy strategy and making the effort to ensure future products are either hybrid or eco-friendly. As such, the government will not ban their sales.
To promote the shift from gasoline cars to electric and hybrid vehicles, lowering the price of lithium-ion batteries will be crucial. To this end, the government is considering tax breaks for companies that invest in production facilities for new batteries that can contribute to the zero-emissions target.
