The future of Australia and Japan’s energy security partnership

Monday 25 March 2024

The Perth USAsia Centre, together with the Australia Japan Business Co-operation Committee (AJBCC), hosted a dinner on Monday 25 March 2024 to kick off the 7th annual Japan Symposium.

Attended by leaders from Western Australia’s government, business and education sectors, the event focused on the future of Australia and Japan’s energy security partnership and featured a keynote presentation from the Ambassador of Japan to Australia, His Excellency Suzuki Kazuhiro. Professor Gordon Flake then moderated a panel discussion with Ambassador Kazuhiro, SVP Climate and Strategy at Woodside Energy Tony Cudmore, and CEO of The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia, Rebecca Tomkinson.

In the face of global conflict, climate change, and growing regional tensions, energy security is of paramount importance to resource-poor Japan. Dependent on imports for 94 per cent of its primary energy supply, Japan is vulnerable to an increasingly insecure global order and remains beholden to international partners and the stability of energy supply chains.

Australia is an important partner to Japan in this regard – Japan currently sources more than 40 per cent of its LNG and more than 65 per cent of its coal from Australia, and is
Australia’s top energy market, valued at nearly $90 billion in 2022-23. Both countries want the energy partnership to continue to flourish as decarbonisation efforts intensify.

As Australia and Japan embark on their shared goal of energy transition to net zero, both countries must work ever more closely to communicate their needs and the future of their respective energy industries.