AZEC: Japan's Dirty
Energy Strategy for Asia

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Japan’s Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) derails the renewable energy transition and prolongs fossil fuel use in Asia.

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Top 4 reasons AZEC threatens Asia's energy transition

AZEC is a greenwashing ploy that will prolong the use of fossil fuels


Japan claims AZEC contributes to Asia’s decarbonization and supports the region’s development. However, AZEC promotes Japan’s expensive fossil fuel-based technologies – including LNG, ammonia co-firing at coal power plants, hydrogen blending at gas plants, and carbon capture and storage. These technologies are dangerous distractions that will prolong the use of gas and coal at a time when they must be phased out to protect our communities and our planet.

AZEC prioritizes Japanese corporate interests over people and planet

Japan insists on Asia’s need for “various pathways” to decarbonize rather than pursuing a clear path to renewable energy. But this is code for harmful fossil fuel-based technologies. Japan uses AZEC to prioritize corporate profits over the wellbeing of local communities and our planet. Japan’s intention is to advance its business interests by selling fossil fuel-based technologies that cling to oil, gas, and coal. The interests of Japanese corporations such as JERA and Mitsubishi Heavy are prioritised at the expense of the people of climate-vulnerable regions in Asia.

AZEC undermines Asia’s energy security
The surest path to ensuring energy security in Asia is the rapid, just development of renewable energy. However, a significant portion of projects under AZEC include fossil fuel technologies. Asia leads the world in renewables growth, yet over 99% of solar and wind potential in Southeast Asia remains untapped. Southeast Asia currently has 33.8 GW of renewable energy capacity and plans to expand to 397.8 GW—nearly 12 times more than today. Wealthy governments like Japan which are largely responsible for the climate crisis have a historical obligation to accelerate renewables buildout in Southeast Asia.
AZEC wastes valuable resources on costly, unproven, and failed technologies
AZEC’s fossil fuel-based technologies will exacerbate financial problems for countries already burdened with debt. Switching from coal to gas comes with expensive infrastructure destined to become stranded assets. CCS also has a 50 year record of failure. Even if it functioned as planned, the projects currently operating globally would only capture around 0.1% of global emissions. Now Japan plans to dump its captured CO2 in Malaysia and Australia – a clear case of waste colonialism.

The Japanese prime minister announced the concept of AZEC (Asia Zero Emission Community) in 2022 as a platform to contribute to Asia’s decarbonisation and its first ministerial and leaders’ meetings were held in 2023. The partner countries are: Japan, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

As the third AZEC Leaders Meeting approaches in Malaysia in October 2025, it’s time to expose Japan’s power play and demand Japan end its fossil finance and support the affordable, accessible renewable energy transition Asia deserves.

Japan: Stop derailing Asia’s energy transition and shift your support to renewable energy.

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