TakeuchiIt has been more than a decade since I became involved in the United Nations' talks on climate change, but it seems like just yesterday when the Paris Agreement was adopted in December of 2015. There was a great round of applause at the conference when the agreement was passed, and I remember thinking that the world was about to change. Since then, progress on climate change has varied from one country to another, but all advanced and developing countries have conceived frameworks to decarbonize. The enthusiasm for pushing those agendas seems to be accelerating, but there is no point in countries competing to outdo one another with respect to their greenhouse-gas-emmission reduction targets. The situation today has reminded me of what is really important, namely practical discussions on energy.

TakeuchiThere can be no doubt that shifting to electricity and hydrogen will become a pillar of future energy strategies that are dedicated to decarbonization. At present, roughly 75% of Japan's final energy consumption is generated by oil, coal and other fossil fuels. Obviously it will be crucial for us to use those resources more efficienty, but even if we can improve the efficiency of gasoline-powered automobiles for example, we cannot completely eliminate their CO2 emissions. In other words, if we truly hope to decarbonize, then we must start powering things that have traditionally been powered by fossil fuels with electricity and hydrogen. It is also vital that we promote the decarbonization of our energy sources by generating that electricity and hydrogen with renewables.

UsamiI get the feeling that the roles our world expects of hydrogen have changed quite dramatically in the last few years. Five years ago, when I was posted in Germany, there were talks of using hydrogen as a means of storing excess power generated by wind farms. A number of countries are still looking at that as a key to decarbonization; however, each country's energy structure is different, so we cannot simply expect Japan to take the same steps that are being taken or advocated in Europe.

TakeuchiExactly. Both the natural resource reserves and potential to develop renewables differ from one country to the next, plus there are lifestyle and economic differences that have to be taken into account as well. International cooperation is vital to technological developments, but national energy policies are quite varied. Here in Japan, our policy must consider not only environmental impacts, but also supply stability, economic feasibility, the country's shrinking population and other circumstances that are unique to modern Japanese society.

UsamiOne point that warrants mentioning is that Japan was the first country in the world to set down a fundamental strategy on hydrogen, which it did in 2017. I am confident that the hydrogen-related expertise and technologies that Japanese enterprises have accumulated over the years will help to realize future hydrogen societies, both here in Japan and around the world.

TakeuchiThat it can be produced using a variety of resources and stored for a long time are both big merits. Today, most hydrogen is derived from natural gas and other fossil fuels, but in the future, cheap overseas solar power can be used to produce it through electrolysis. Hydrogen produced through electrolysis using renewables, so-called “green hydrogen,” does not emit any CO₂ during production.

UsamiAnother feature of hydrogen is its broad applications beyond use as an industrial raw material. It can also be used as fuel for power generation, and it can provide electricity, heat and power through its use in fuel cells. Mitsubishi Corporation's businesses have ties with various customers, from companies to households, and I am convinced that we can leverage hydrogen to play a very important role in their futures. We are already taking on a number of challenges.