Taro Kono, Member, House of Representatives of Japan discusses the future of India-Japan engagement in renewable energy

Mumbai, March 19, 2017: Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations, Mumbai, in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan hosted a meeting with Taro Kono, Member, House of Representatives, Japan.

The meeting at Gateway House addressed the topic; “India-Japan: Partnering in Renewable Energy”. Over the past decade Japan has undertaken an unprecedented energy transformation from nuclear energy to solar energy. India has also set itself a target to install 100 gigawatts of solar energy by 2022, and is looking towards Japan for some guidance.

Japan is already a large funder to India’s infrastructure build out, and energy cooperation is next on the agenda. “In the next bilateral economic session this should be on the agenda after the high speed bullet train,” he said. This can be done through both government and private sector participation, said Taro Kono. For instance “A Japanese company could work with an Indian company to manufacture solar panels in India and then export them out of India to other countries,” he suggested. “This would be a good programme for both countries to work on.”

Taro Kono is a sixth-term Liberal Democratic Member of the House of Representatives. In what has been a prominent political career, Taro Kono served in Prime Minister Kouzumi’s final government as Senior Vice Minister of Justice (2005-06). He has also played a leading role in the passage of many government bills on environment issues, and opposed the building of new nuclear power plants.