MANILA, Philippines–Climate advocates held a protest at the Japan Embassy in Pasay City on October 10, 2024 and challenged the Japanese government and its newly-installed Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to stop derailing Asia’s energy future by phasing out all of their fossil fuel investments in Asia.
Members of the regional alliance Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD) and the Don’t Gas Asia campaign said Japan must pave the way to a clean energy transition by shifting to investments in renewables, instead of continuing to be the “world’s second largest provider of public finance for fossil fuel projects.”
The protested carried placards that read “Shigeru Ishiba: withdraw all support for fossil fuel projects in Asia!” and “ASEAN: Reject Japan’s promotion of fossil gas and false solutions!”
APMDD said similar actions were held in Indonesia and Thailand.
“At this crucial juncture when we need to act on the climate crisis with urgency, the fossil fuel industry and governments like Japan continue to prioritize short-term profits over the long-term survival of our people and planet,” said APMDD coordinator Lidy Nacpil said in a press statement.
“Japan’s support for gas and coal projects results in further harm to people and the environment and delays the rapid, equitable, and just transition the world needs to prevent a climate catastrophe,” she added.
Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) is spearheading Tokyo GX (Green Transformation) Week from Oct. 6 to 11, at the same time that the 44th ASEAN Summit is being held in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
APMDD said in both events, Japan is expected to exert its influence to expand the use of fossil fuels which is not in line with the International Energy Agency’s target to achieve net zero by 2050.
“Tokyo GX Week, for example, officially hosted the ‘LNG Producer Consumer Conference’ last October 6 and Japan is the second largest provider of public finance for fossil fuels worldwide,” according to research from an environmental group.
APMDD said “a new report by Zero Carbon Analytics cited Japan’s Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) initiative for having facilitated 158 agreements with member countries, of which a substantial 56 MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding) concerned the use of fossil fuel technologies like LNG, ammonia co-firing and hydrogen.”
The climate activists expressed fears that “the AZEC alliance – which consists of Japan, ASEAN members (except Myanmar), and Australia, will only prolong the life of fossil fuels in the region and extend the life of coal under the guise of ‘decarbonizing Asia’.” (APMDD)
Photo by Bernadette Anne Morales
