On 8 September 2026, the Aberdeen University Centre for Energy Law (AUCEL) hosted a hybrid Research Exchange with a visiting delegation from Japan, led by Professor Takeshi Shimamura of Kyoto University, and additional participants joining online. The multidisciplinary delegation brought together expertise in law, policy science, economics, agriculture and electrical engineering to examine Japanese energy law and policy in comparison with Scotland, with a particular focus on energy governance and environmental protection. AUCEL scholars shared their research and contributed to the discussion.
AUCEL RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES
The hybrid event was opened by Dr Mitchell Lennan, Co-Director of AUCEL, and Lecturer at the School of Law, who welcomed the delegation on behalf of the Centre and led attendees to introduce themselves and their areas of research and expertise. Professor John Paterson, Chair in Law at the School of Law, then presented on Scotland’s Offshore Wind Regulatory Framework, discussing the Scottish context and constitutional issues, the role of marine spatial planning and the nature of seabed leasing. He also discussed decommissioning programmes before construction and emerging arrangements for strategic environmental compensation, including the Scottish Marine Recovery Fund. . Dr Daria Shapovalova, Senior Lecturer, Deputy Head at the Law School, and Coordinator at the Just Transition Lab also presented on Just Transition and Energy Governance in Practice, where she drew on to discuss challenges and opportunities characterising the UK’s energy transition. Dr Amy McCarron, Research Fellow at the Just Transition Lab and School of Law, co-presented with Dr Shapovalova and shared studies from the , which used of maritime economies: Orkney, North East Scotland and Humberside, to undertake a historical study of the benefits and implications of the transition for communities. Their presentations highlighted the potential for recurring limited community participation within the transition to renewables, similar to that witnessed in the transition from traditional energy (whale oil) to oil and gas, which externalises impacts to communities. They maintained that new energy sources and systems present an opportunity to rethink the concepts of justice and fairness in energy governance.
Two Doctoral Researchers at the Law School, Andrew Walters and Olamiposi Jinadu, presented on The Evolution of Energy Law in the Era of Decarbonisation: Comparative Reflections from Scotland and Comparative Renewable Energy Governance: Perspectives from ECOWAS Dispute Settlement Mechanisms (DSMs), respectively. While Andrew, in his comparative examination of Japan and some European countries' approaches to nuclear energy adoption and regulation, stressed the need for law to readily move with society and not only respond retrospectively, Olamiposi showed how the emergence of new dispute categories from the energy transition necessitates effective dispute resolution frameworks.
RESEARCH INSIGHTS FROM JAPAN
Following the presentations from AUCEL colleagues, Professor Takeshi Shimamura, of the Graduate School of Law, Kyoto University, opened with an overview of Japan’s energy supply following the Fukushima nuclear disaster, noting that wind accounted for only 1.4% of electricity generation in 2025. He examined how wind farm planning and zoning, environmental and cumulative impact assessment, community consensus and benefit-sharing could support greater renewable energy development. Professor Yo Yasuda, Visiting Professor, Kyushu University, compared UK and Japanese renewable energy policies, and identified the absence of a spatial planning framework, developer-community conflicts and local government regulation as constraints on Japan’s renewable energy ambitions. Professor Hideo Horasawa (online), from the Faculty of Law, Chuo University, examined Japan’s legal framework for offshore wind power, including area designation and the role of local stakeholder forums in consensus-building. Associate Professor Hidetoshi Yamashita, from the Graduate School of Economics, Hitotsubashi University, considered how financing, local investment and community returns can enhance renewable energy that benefits communities. Associate Professor Saiko Shiraki from the Tokyo University of Agriculture, and Dr Elizabeth A. Masden (online), Research Fellow, Environmental Research Institute, UHI North, West and Hebrides, explored ornithological considerations in wind turbine siting and cumulative impact assessment, specifically from their research on collision risks for white-tailed eagles, where they used GPS tracking and risk modelling. Professor Mari Koyano (online) of the Graduate School of Law, Hokkaido University, also discussed her research on international environmental law, its domestic implementation, and the law of the sea and fisheries law. Engagements by Professor Haruka Kubo, of the Centre for General Education, Konan University, and Professor Kenichi Oshima, of the Faculty of Policy Science at Ryukoku University, at the event were based on their expertise in climate and renewable energy policy, and environmental governance.
LOOKING AHEAD
The exchange created opportunities for further collaboration between the 51cg and its Japanese university partners, building on more than 20 years of engagement between Japanese law scholars and the School of Law. Participants identified common challenges and cross-jurisdictional lessons arising from the different legal, policy and regulatory approaches taken in Japan and Scotland.
Exchanges of this kind allow researchers to reflect on approaches to energy governance and environmental protection and identify lessons for the sustainable and effective development of renewable energy. AUCEL remains committed to supporting multidisciplinary and comparative research on a sustainable and just energy transition.
Written by Tayo Gbemi
