"Industry pushback a major factor behind Japan's decarbonisation delays", 17 Aug 2020

...Fossil fuel producers and high greenhouse gas emitters in Japan are fiercely lobbying against more ambitious emissions and energy policy that would imperil their carbon-heavy, energy-intensive business, undermining the country’s response to the climate crisis, new research has revealed.

The analysis, by London-headquartered research organisation InfluenceMap, which tracks how firms lobby on climate change, shows corporate positions on climate-related policy vary across the Japanese economy, but it is largely those sectors striving to block or dilute the implementation of tougher climate targets who make their voices heard.

Industries such as carmakers, iron and steel, heavy machinery, utility firms, petrochemicals and cement producers have taken a tough stand against tighter regulations and are more actively engaged on key policy strands central to Japan’s climate change mitigation strategy...

Mostly absent from intensive climate policy advocacy are groups representing key economic sectors including retail, finance, logistics, construction and real estate...

According to InfluenceMap, a policy revision in line with the Paris climate deal is unlikely to happen in Japan without major reform of how economic sectors are represented both within Keidanren and government decision-making processes...

[Mentions Toyota, Nippon Steel, Toray Industries, Tokyo Electric Power, Hitachi, Fujitsu, Ricoh & Sekisui House]