MANILA, Philippines—Climate advocates held a protest at the Japan Embassy in Pasay City on October 10, 2024, urging the Japanese government and its newly-installed Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to stop derailing Asia’s energy future by phasing out all fossil fuel investments in the region.
The demonstrators, members of the regional alliance Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD) and the Don’t Gas Asia campaign, 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 reported that similar protests were held in Indonesia and Thailand.
APMDD coordinator Lidy Nacpil stated in a press release, “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.”
She added that “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.”
Japan, which the environmental group Zero Carbon Analytics identified as the world’s second-largest provider of public finance for fossil fuel projects, is hosting Tokyo GX (Green Transformation) Week from October 6 to 11.
This event coincides with the 44th ASEAN Summit in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, where Japan is expected to push for expanded fossil fuel use, contrary to the International Energy Agency’s net zero by 2050 target.
Tokyo GX Week hosted the “LNG Producer Consumer Conference” on October 6, underscoring Japan’s ongoing involvement in the fossil fuel sector. APMDD noted that Japan’s Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) initiative has facilitated 158 agreements with member countries, including 56 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) tied to fossil fuel technologies like LNG, ammonia co-firing, and hydrogen.
The activists fear that the AZEC alliance—comprising Japan, ASEAN members (except Myanmar), and Australia—will only prolong fossil fuel reliance under the guise of “decarbonizing Asia.”
The climate groups demanded that Japan shift its investments to renewable energy to help pave the way for a clean energy transition across Asia.
Photo by Bernadette Anne Morales
