Greetings from Chairman

About six months have now passed since the dreadful earthquakes and tsunamis that struck eastern Japan on the afternoon of March 11, 2011. More than 15,000 people lost their lives and a great many are still missing. I wish to express my deep sympathy to the families of those who perished. I also wish for the speedy recovery of those who have been hurt, or whose homes and businesses have suffered severe damages. At the same time, as a Japanese citizen, I wish to extend deepest gratitude to the people of the world for their heartfelt encouragement, and their quick and enormous support.

As is well-known, the Great East Japan Earthquake triggered serious accidents at the Fukushima No.1 nuclear station. Adding to the devastation that destroyed vast regions, this accident has caused serious problems with short-term energy supply in Japan. Perhaps more importantly, it also poses medium and long-term energy and environmental policy challenges. This fall, an intense nationwide debate will take place in connection with the review of Basic Energy Plan. The debate will focus especially on the role of nuclear power in our pathway to a low-carbon society.

It is widely recognized that energy provides a fundamental input for economic activities, and that Japan depends on imports for almost all of its energy supply. Therefore, securing stable energy supply at reasonable prices is an essential prerequisite to sustainable development of the Japanese economy. At the same time, we must take effective and appropriate measures to counter global warming. Not only Japan, but also every country in the world, and especially the emerging Asian countries, are facing these common challenges.

At the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan, we have exerted every effort to establish a solid reputation in Japan and abroad for squarely responding to the demands of the times. To this end, we have strengthened our research staff and alliances with various organizations within and outside of the country. We have made various proposals regarding energy and environmental policies after conducting fact-based research and forecasting. Nearly 20 analyses have been added to the IEEJ website under “Special reports on the Great East Japan Earthquake” in the last six months in English and/or Japanese.

Energy and global warming may be viewed as two sides of same coin. Through further expansion of our network and information exchange with worldwide colleagues, we will continue to look for optimum solutions to the challenges they pose in a way that will reinstate positive economic growth. Thus, we will further expand our contributions to policy formation and business activities through enhanced research and policy proposals.
Our institute celebrated its 45th anniversary June this year. We thank you for your warm support to date and wish to ask for your continued cooperation.

Masakazu Toyoda
Chairman & CEO
The Institute of Energy Economics, Japan