Suga pledges ¥2.2 tril to promote ecological businesses

Good, he can start with research on harnessing thermal power instead of letting it all run down the 'onsen' drain. Tourism is a very inefficient, risky use of capital and the environment.

Was watching him on TV yesterday! The man sadly has no skills, it's a reflection of leadership in Japan. With no script he would be lost. Just an old man doing sit-ups that's all he has got. Although I am impressed with the apparent number of sit ups. But I don't believe it.

NZ gets most of their energy from geothermal and hydroelectric. My house solar panels generate 3x more energy than we use.

the total cost of nuclear power generation (not including Fukushima or other accidents) is 10x more than energy generated.

Suga should make all new houses to have solar panels. Older houses should be given subsidies to include within 5 years.

geothermal infrastructure could be pushstarted with the $28billion that the not held Olympics has spent.

Good man, it's easy in Japan solar, hydro, wind, geothermal in abundance

Suga should make all new houses to have solar panels.

I always thought the same. This would generate a lot of free and ecological energy. But companies generating energy will loose profits and in Japan Inc, that might be the reason. But I also believe that people must have the right to choose that option.

A problem in Japan is that a lot of small solar energy projects are done in the depend of woods and forests, Around my place, so many trees have been cut to put solar panels. Rice fields not used anymore should have priority. The same for wind mills at the top of mountains were many paths/ roads cutting the forests must be created.

That’s why nuclear energy is still a big player in the mix. The land footprint is small and that creates in high quantity the high power energy needed.

Going green is good but should not be done at the expense of the nature. Here that might unfortunately be the case.

Although he is known for a pragmatic approach to getting things done, it's unclear whether Suga has the political heft to overcome vested interests in weaning the resource-poor nation from its reliance on imported oil and gas.

yeah right as if Joe Biden is going to stop fracking.

Yes, that works already now. If you don’t or can’t use a car and take a look at most local bus schedules, then there is already perfect zero carbon emission. lol It they soon abolish cars and trucks or extremely tax them, that country stands still, there comes no public transportation, nothing. Hydrogen or electric cars are also impossible, because that would need nuclear power plants also everyone is against. Maybe we don’t miss so much future if the current virus hits too much...

Hydrogen or electric cars are also impossible, because that would need nuclear power plants also everyone is against.

Actually electric cars can be powered from sunlight and Hydrogen cars from water. Both are plentiful in japan.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga pledged a 2 trillion yen ($19 billion) fund on Friday to promote ecological businesses and innovation to achieve his goal of zero net carbon emissions by 2050.

Misplaced priority, Shouldn't all energy and resources poured into mitigating the spread of this virus ? and

after that he can pursue what ever dreams that he has. People cannot even get a test, peoples livelihood have

been impacted goes to show they don't give a rat about the pandemic and the livelihood of the people.

Expecting a rainstorm yet out washing your car.

onsen culture

Dreams and fantasies if you think a country of 127 million people with not enough land, will run on wind or solar.

If the answer was so easy so simple as this people will say.... IT Would Have Been Done Already.

Batteries are not good enough. Big problem yet to be solved.

No Sun at night, clouds, rain, snow.

Wind - today Yes, tomorrow No. Just like the sun, it's not always a reliable source.

All options should be on the table when land is limited, when options are limited for a energy hungry country like Japan.

All options should be on the table when land is limited, when options are limited for a energy hungry country like Japan.

Your argument is that all options should be considered when options are limited? Isn't that exactly why eco businesses are being promoted?

Suga should make all new houses to have solar panels. Older houses should be given subsidies to include within 5 years.

They should make it difficult to built houses with insufficient insulation or a roof that doesn't face south. Bad houses create energy needs. Japan is already full of empty properties. All new buildings should be high quality.

we aim to become a global leader in this area,

That's a long way off. Start from the basics: make houses and apartments that aren't boiling in the summer and freezing the winter because they leak so much energy. Mandate heating ducts in or near the floors, not in the ceiling near large windows, which is where they are in my 3-year old building.

Introduce insulation and thermal window codes that are legally binding, which is what other developed countries do. You gotta walk before you can run.

“The fund is to bolster environmental investment as we aim to become a global leader in this area,”

In public debt you are the leader and this act will extend it.

NZ gets most of their energy from geothermal and hydroelectric. 

Do you think New Zealand could ramp up their energy needs to the amount of Japan’s with that strategy?

Suga should make all new houses to have solar panels. Older houses should be given subsidies to include within 5 years.

I guess the 2 trillion might go into such subsidies for the rich who do own their own homes. Great move.

They should make it difficult to built houses with insufficient insulation or a roof that doesn't face south.

Does that mean bulldozing cities and applying loads of new building regulations when starting afresh?