FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 11, 2024
Contact: Makiko Arima, Oil Change International – makiko@priceofoil.org
In response to the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) leaders’ joint statement and 10-year action plan announced today, members of the Fossil Free Japan coalition issued the following responses.
Dwi Sawung, WALHI, Infrastructure Campaigner, said:
“Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba has emphasized the importance of maximizing the full potential of renewable energy and energy conservation and the urgency of strong climate action. Yet, with today’s statement, Prime Minister Ishiba has signaled that he will continue to prioritize Japanese fossil fuel interests over the safety and well-being of our communities and our planet.”
Gerry Arances, Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development, Executive Director, said:
“Without the rapid transition to renewable energy, climate catastrophes will only worsen, and there will be more unnecessary death and destruction. Instead of focusing on climate solutions, Japan has wasted precious time and resources peddling dirty, risky, expensive technologies that will expand and prolong the use of fossil fuels. Southeast Asia has abundant renewable energy potential. Japan should concentrate its efforts on helping the region tap this if it is truly committed to decarbonization and assisting in a just energy transition.”
Ayumi Fukakusa, Friends of the Earth Japan, Deputy Executive Director, said:
“Japan is using the Asia Zero Emissions Community as a massive greenwashing scheme. While Prime Minister Ishiba is talking about the importance of reducing emissions, Japan is working to expand and prolong the use of gas and coal by promoting ‘false solutions’ such as co-firing with biomass and ammonia, hydrogen, or carbon capture and storage (CCS). Japan is risking and harming our communities and our planet for corporate profits, neglecting any voice of local communities and CSOs in the host countries of the AZEC.”
Hikmat Soeriatanuwijaya, Oil Change International, Senior Partnerships and Outreach Officer, said:
“Japan is leading Asia in the wrong direction. AZEC not only prolongs our dependence on dirty energy, but also jeopardizes the livelihoods of communities on the frontlines of climate change, delays our progress toward clean energy, and threatens to lock us into a carbon-intensive future.”
Lidy Nacpil, coordinator of the Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development, said:
“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. 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.”
Erin Ryan, Senior International Campaigner, Solutions for Climate Australia (CANA), said:
“Countries on the frontlines of climate impacts like floods, heatwaves and droughts have looked to Japan for help with the renewables transition they know they urgently need. With AZEC, Japan has responded by locking in a regional role for fossil gas, offering a menu of expensive and untested distractions, and putting Japanese corporate profits over people. This is a far cry from Prime Minister Ishiba’s campaign promises to maximise the potential of renewable energy, and a far cry from what the science and South East Asian communities demand to avoid a worsening climate crisis.”
*To find out how the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) is fueling energy insecurity in Asia, visit Unmasking AZEC.