Opinion: Diplomacy shifts faster than clean energy supply chains can be built

Governments should commit to a consistent and clear industrial strategy

27. Juli 2026 um 18:00 Uhr / Von Sarah Ladislaw, Nikkei Asia

Leaders of each country including invited nations participate in discussion of G7 summit in Evian, France on June 17, 2026. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (L) talks with French President Emmanuel Macron during the conference. Bild: Pool for Yomiuri / The Yomiuri Shimbun via Reuters Connect

When Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived in India in early July, energy security was near the top of the agenda -- just as it was when Prime Minister Narendra Modi toured the Middle East and Europe in May. The situation in the Strait of Hormuz has sharpened such concerns about oil and gas vulnerability, but both leaders have made a broader point: Building competitive positions in advanced energy industries is equally critical -- for growth, jobs and technological leadership -- and requires sustained industrial commitment, not just diplomatic ambition.

Writing ahead of the G7 meeting in France in June, Takaichi framed her role in explicit terms: pushing structural change in energy and supply chains, rather than managing the status quo. The central question is whether these partnerships will actually lead to coordinated industrial development.