Climate justice advocates gathered outside the Japanese Embassy in Manila to denounce what they called Japan’s “fossil fuel obsession.” The groups accused the Japanese government and corporations of promoting false climate solutions that worsen the global crisis and harm communities across Asia.
The protest was held on the eve of the Japan Energy Summit in Tokyo, scheduled for June 18 to 20. Organized by Japanese energy giants JERA and Tokyo Gas, the summit is criticized by campaigners as a platform for greenwashing Japan’s continued investments in coal and gas.
Carrying banners and placards, activists from the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD), and other grassroots networks called for a rapid and just transition to renewable energy. They warned that any delay in ending fossil fuel use puts vulnerable populations at even greater risk.
“At a time of worsening climate crisis, it’s outrageous to see an industry summit propping up fossil fuel companies under the guise of energy transition,” said Lidy Nacpil of APMDD. “What we urgently need is a full-scale rollout of solar and wind, not more excuses to cling to coal and gas.”
Ian Rivera of PMCJ highlighted the direct health impacts suffered by communities near fossil gas facilities in the Philippines. He warned that the continued expansion of gas projects, backed by Japanese financiers like the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), poses a serious threat to both people and the environment.
Nacpil also stressed that Japan remains one of the largest public funders of fossil fuels globally. A report by climate groups revealed that Japan provided $93 billion over a decade to overseas oil and gas ventures, including an annual average of $6.9 billion from 2020 to 2022 for fossil fuel projects abroad.
Photos by Elmer Valenzuela
