Japan has two paths laid before it when the pandemic subsides and the country tries to stabilize its battered economy.
One leads back to old habits: a stubborn dependence on fossil fuels, renewed investment in coal-fired power and complacent environmental policy. The other leads to a brighter future, one in which the country purposefully hastens its transition to renewable energy, and the money set aside to revive the fossil fuel industry is instead invested in sustainable infrastructure.
The latter — otherwise known as a “green recovery” — might be the nation’s best and last chance to kick-start the momentum necessary to eliminate carbon emissions within the next three decades. Experts fear the window of opportunity is narrowing quickly.