Prime Minister Naoto Kan attended the first meeting of the Energy and Environment Council at the Prime Minister's Office.

The Council is chaired by the Minister for National Policy and was established with the purpose of formulating government-wide short-, mid-, and long-term innovative energy and environmental strategies that can correct distortions and vulnerabilities in Japan's energy systems and ensure safety, stable supplies, efficiency, and environmental-friendliness.

Discussion took place on the current direction of considerations for the formulation next year of an innovative energy strategy focusing on the utilization of a new best mix of energy sources, the mid-year interim compilation of discussion points toward the creation of that strategy, and the establishment of a basic policy for the strategy to be set by the end of the year, among other matters.

The Prime Minister said in his opening address, "Energy policy had always been a very important issue, irrespective of the nuclear incident. Even before the incident, the New Growth Strategy had identified renewable energy and other forms of energy as springboards for growth. I want to continue to work hard on this moving forward."