Energy Policies of China, India and Japan
China, India and Japan are the three largest energy consumers in Asia. Just as there is common ground for cooperation in their efforts to meet energy demands, there is also potential for strategic competition. Although the trio’s energy policies are essential for regional prosperity and peace as well as their own development, there are few thorough and systematic examinations of the trio’s energy policies in a comparative context. This research initiative examines the energy policies of China, India, and Japan and, more importantly, the structure and process of energy policymaking of the three powers.
The duration of this research initiative is projected to be one year, beginning in late 2011 and ending in late 2012. The research will focus on three areas. Firstly, the project seeks to map out the precise form that energy policy takes in China, India and Japan, and the manner in which policy is implemented. Secondly, beyond simply mapping the form of energy policy in each of these countries, the project will analyse the very structure and process of energy policymaking. Subsequently, detailing the various state and non-state stakeholders in energy policymaking and the relationships between these stakeholders within the policymaking process occupies a crucial interest for the research project team. Finally, the research project charts the political and economic implications of the trio’s energy policies in the three countries’ respective development strategies.
The research agenda is projected to lead to a research monograph on the three countries’ energy policies and their policymaking structure and process. The project deliverables will be the publication of a paper in a good journal and a report, followed by a forum in each of the three countries to both present to interested parties and gain feedback. The report will be published as one combined edited volume or three individual edited volumes in 2013. This research initiative is envisaged as a pilot project for a more expansive research and engagement agenda. In addition to published outputs, CAG also hopes to establish a lasting relationship with not just policy experts but also the research and government agencies supporting the countries’ energy policies.
