Japan: Fueling Asia's Energy Insecurity

©APMDD

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

AZEC is greenwashing that benefits Japanese corporate interests and risks regional carbon lock-in.
©Don’t Gas Indonesia

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. Japanese corporations such as JERA and Mitsubishi Heavy excel in these technologies and want to expand their market 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. Asia leads the world in renewables growth, yet over 99% of solar and wind potential in Southeast Asia remains untapped. The wealthiest governments, like Japan, have an opportunity and obligation to help increase the pace and scale of renewables buildout in the region. Instead, Japan actively develops decarbonization plans for Asian countries, based on Japanese corporate recommendations, to position dangerous distractions like LNG and ammonia as main fuels to pursue.
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. Replacing coal with gas power plants will not significantly reduce emissions due to methane leaked throughout the supply chain. Switching to gas will also come with expensive infrastructure destined to become stranded assets, volatile market prices, and expensive electricity costs. The cheapest (and dirtiest) type of ammonia is up to four times more expensive than solar and wind in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand.
Indonesia will host the second AZEC ministerial meeting in August 2024, and there are plans for Lao PDR to host a summit in October 2024.

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida announced AZEC in 2022 as Japan’s platform to contribute to Asia’s decarbonization. Japan convened an AZEC ministerial meeting in March 2023 and a leaders’ summit in December 2023 with attendance by partner countries: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

On both occasions, AZEC partner countries signed agreements with Japan to kickstart fossil fuel-based technologies in their countries.

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