Until just recently the view prevailed that there was a tradeoff relationship between achieving respectable economic growth and reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, most of which consist of carbon dioxide. This led to a wide debate on how to achieve both goals.
A major change has occurred, however, since U.S. President Barack Obama initiated his Green New Deal, which has led me to believe that attaining CO2 reduction targets requires the promotion of environment-friendly products and renewable energy, and that therein lies the driving force for economic growth among industrialized nations.
Take, for example, solar cells, which are, at present, installed on the rooftops of only 2 percent of residential houses in Japan. The current cost of installing solar cells is about ¥600,000 per kilowatt of electricity. So, about ¥1.8 million — about the price of an automobile — is needed to equip a house with cells generating 3 kw.