Written by Sunny Dutt Sharma
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In 2019, the global energy consumed was estimated at 173.34 Bn MWh. Even if strict climate action policies are implemented, fossil fuels are expected to dominate the total energy mix with an estimated 59% share in 2040.
Japan consumed 4.9 Bn MWh of energy in 2019 and was the fifth-largest energy consumer globally. The nation’s renewable energy usage was only 10% of the total in 2019. The island nation of Japan is experiencing severe consequences of global climate change, like floods, deluges, and heatwaves.
Japan-based Yamada Denki is a retail chain for consumer electronics, with a revenue of $14 billion. The Yamada Denki consumed a total of 537,475.9 MWh of energy in FY2020, of which total non-renewable energy consumption was 528,607.7 MWh (98.35%).
The company consumed 479,364 MWh of electricity, of which 1.85% (8,868.2 MWh) was from renewable sources. The company also consumed 18,937.5 MWh of energy from gasoline, 413.4 MWh from kerosene, 1,674.9 MWh from light oil, 52.75 MWh from LPG, 33,010.9 MWh from city gas, 3,828.3 MWh from cold water, and 194.17 MWh from hot water.
Total energy consumed by Yamada is equivalent to the energy consumed by 45,112 US homes in a year. This is also equivalent to 0.109% of Japan’s total energy consumption in 2019.
Between FY2009 and FY2020, approx. 77 of the company’s stores used nearly 10,847 MWh of green power. Also, 100% of the energy consumed at the company’s headquarters is from renewable sources. The company’s 541 of the total 689 stores have also shifted to LED lighting to conserve energy.
Yamada Denki aims to increase its share of renewable energy during FY2021. However, the company has not established any specific goals with timelines to reduce overall energy consumption.
Yamada has indeed implemented the use of green power, though its investment is quite low. The company must incorporate stringent actions to elevate the usage of renewable power.
Reference
1. https://ourworldindata.org/energy-mix
2. https://www.business-standard.com/article/punditry/how-long-will-fossil-fuels-last-115092201397_1.html
3. https://yearbook.enerdata.net/total-energy/world-consumption-statistics.html
4. https://www.eia.gov/international/analysis/country/JPN
5. https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/how-climate-crisis-impacts-japan
6. https://www.zoominfo.com/c/yamada-denki-co-ltd/372151268
7. https://www.yamada-holdings.jp/lang-en/pdf/report_archive/report2020_e_all_1p.pdf
8. https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator
