Japan energy mix and economic growth nexus: Focus on natural gas consumption

Japan's recent enunciation of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” policy aims to promote principles such as free trade, freedom of navigation, and encouraging economic prosperity with building commitment to stability and peace connecting the economic hub of Asia to Africa (MFA, 2019). Natural gas use continues to dominate Japan's energy mix despite efforts to improve environmental protection and attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Also, increasing production and investment typically leads to a better quality of life and more disposable income for the populace, which promotes economic growth. To this end, the study investigates the relationship between economic growth, trade openness, and natural gas consumption, as well as gross fixed capital formation and carbon dioxide emissions to overcome omitted variable problems to explore the natural gas-economic growth hypothesis in Japan over the period 1980–2020. Empirical results reveal a long-run relationship among the variables under consideration. By applying the Toda and Yamamoto approach to Granger causality testing, a two-sided causality running from CO2 and economic growth was revealed, while a one-sided causality from economic growth to natural gas consumption. This outcome suggests that the natural gas-economic growth hypothesis is not valid for Japan. According to these outcomes, policymakers in the energy sector should consciously diversify their energy portfolio in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Japan. Also, it is recommended that there should be a provision of access to skilled labor to increase productivity and export finished products to boost a nation's economy.