Corporate Players

Japan’s major trading companies and utilities are locking the world into a fossil fuel future, directly undermining their own Net Zero 2050 commitments. 

Japanese trading houses like Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsui & Co, and Sumitomo Corporation, and Japan’s biggest power company, JERA, hold immense economic power and have the potential to further promote renewable energies. However, they continue to build a gas empire — expanding upstream gas around the world, and locking Asia into gas and imported LNG dependence.

Despite the climate crisis, these corporations remain heavily dependent on coal and gas. By prioritising volatile gas infrastructure over a rapid renewable transition, they are jeopardising energy security, harming local communities, and risking their own long-term competitiveness in a decarbonising global economy.

The following is a list of major fossil fuel developers and the selected projects they support.
(Please visit Project page for more details.)

Mitsubishi Corporation 

Developing an LNG to power project in Vietnam and gas exporting facilities in Australia, Canada, and the US.

  • Australia, Browse LNG and its related carbon capture and storage (CCS) project
  • Canada, LNG Canada, and its expansion plan
  • US, Cameron LNG, and its expansion plan

Mitsui & Co

Developing gas export facilities in Mozambique amidst ongoing and well-documented human rights abuses.

  • Australia, Browse LNG and its related CCS project
  • Mozambique, Mozambique LNG

Sumitomo Corporation

Developing gas terminals and LNG to power projects

  • Bangladesh, Matarbari onshore terminal (Bidder)
  • Vietnam, Van Phong 2 LNG to power project (may be converted into a hydrogen co-firing project under the AZEC scheme)

JERA (50-50 joint venture of TEPCO and Chubu)

Developing gas exporting facilities in the US, Australia, as well as gas power plants across Asia. JERA’s decarbonization strategy heavily relies on unproven technologies of co-firing, like hydrogen and ammonia, and CCS.

  • US, Freeport LNG
  • Australia, Barossa LNG
  • Australia, Scarborough Gas Project
  • Bangladesh, Matarbari Summit LNG Power Plant (2,400 MW)

ITOCHU Corporation:

  • Bangladesh, LNG power plant in Chattogram (700 MW)

As record-level heatwaves ravage across Japan, and floods and cyclones intensify, the role of corporate Japan in securing a safe climate future and transitioning to renewable energy, such as solar and wind, battery storage, and smart grid upgrades, is becoming ever more important.

J-POWER (Electric Power Development Co Ltd)

  • Japan, GEMESIS Matsushima coal-fired power station (adding a gasification unit)