December 15, 2023

Open Letter: Japan Should Seize theGolden Opportunity to Phase Out Fossil
Fuels
Dear Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida,
As ASEAN and Japanese leaders meet in Tokyo for their 50th anniversary commemorative
summit under the theme of “Golden Friendship, Golden Opportunity,” we, the undersigned
89 organizations from Southeast Asia, Japan and beyond, urge the Japanese government toseize the golden opportunity and support a swift, just and equitable transition from fossil
fuels to renewable-based energy systems. We are deeply concerned that Japan’s efforts toexpand LNG and develop fossil-based technologies like hydrogen/ammonia/biomass cofiring will derail Southeast Asia’s energy transition and further harm our communities andecosystems.
We urgently need strong climate action to address the climate crisis. We are facing everintensifying heat waves, wildfires, floods and droughts, with local communities suffering themost. This year is set to be the hottest on record, highlighting the severity of climate change. 1
The World Weather Attribution (WWA)2 specifically points to the April heat wave inSoutheast Asia, a rare "once in 200 years" phenomenon that shattered temperature records inThailand and Vietnam. Moreover, cities such as Jakarta and Tangerang in Indonesia face
exceptionally prolonged periods of extreme heat.3
Strong climate action requires a fast, fair and equitable global fossil fuel phase-out. The latest
International Energy Agency (IEA) report reaffirmed that alignment with the 1.5 °C goal
requires no new oil, gas or coal project developments. Some existing projects should be shut
down earlier due to the lower-than-previously-expected demand of oil and gas.4 The IPCC’slatest report also points out that projected CO2 emissions from existing fossil fuelinfrastructure are enough to warm the planet beyond 1.5 °C.5 The science is clear: we cannot
develop new fossil fuel projects if we are to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

1

EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). 2023 on track to become the warmest year after recordOctober
2
Extreme humid heat in South Asia Report, World Weather Attribution. (2023).
3
Earth’s hottest 12-month streak. Climate Central. (2023)
4IEA. September 2023. Net Zero Roadmap: A Global Pathway to Keep the 1.5℃ Goal in Reach. 2023 Update.
5IPCC. 2023: Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report. Contribution ofWorking Groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change[Core Writing Team, H. Lee and J. Romero (eds.)].

1

Further, the IEA estimates that to keep the world on track for the 1.5°C goal, investment inclean energy needs to triple by the early 2030s, from USD 1.8 trillion in 2023 to USD 4.5
trillion a year.6
Despite the scientific consensus, Japan continues to finance fossil gas expansion and is
promoting technologies in Southeast Asia that prolong the use of coal, gas and oil, such ashydrogen/ammonia/biomass co-firing and carbon capture and storage (CCS). This is despite
Japan’s G7 commitment to end international public finance for fossil fuels. According to theCenter for Energy, Ecology, and Development, Japan is the second biggest financier of fossil
gas expansion in Southeast Asia, spending USD 10.03 billion from 2016-2023.
Under the framework of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) and the Asia Energy
Transition Initiative (AETI), Japan is peddling gas as a bridge fuel that is necessary for theregion’s development. Gas is responsible for 22% of all greenhouse gas emissions fromburning fossil fuels. New gas fields and expanded gas consumption in Asia are incompatible
with maintaining the crucial 1.5°C climate goal which is a tipping point for frontline
communities everywhere.
Japan’s development of fossil-based technologies will block the region’s shift to renewables
and prolong the use of fossil fuels. Southeast Asia has abundant renewable energy resources,
according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)7 and the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL),8 whose research is also cited by the Japanese
government.9 Japan's push for fossil fuel projects in Southeast Asia will expose communities- who already live in one of the most climate vulnerable regions globally10 - to even more
severe climate impacts. Supporting gas expansion also poses a bigger financial burden toelectricity consumers in Southeast Asia, impeding their access to stable and affordable
electricity as its market price rises exponentially with volatile gas prices.
Japan is promoting the burning of ammonia and biomass at coal plants and hydrogen at gas
plants to supposedly help ASEAN governments transition to clean energy. However,hydrogen/ammonia/biomass co-firing are ineffective and will not reduce greenhouse gas
emissions enough to reach our climate goals. Co-firing will prolong the lifetime of coal andgas plants when they should be shut down.

IEA. September 2023. Net Zero Roadmap: A Global Pathway to Keep the 1.5℃ Goal in Reach. 2023 Update.
IRENA and ACE. 2022. Renewable Energy Outlook for ASEAN: Towards a Regional Energy Transition.
8National Renewable Energy Laboratory. June 2020. Exploring Renewable Energy Opportunities in SelectSoutheast Asian Countries: A Geospatial Analysis of the Levelized Cost of Energy of Utility-Scale Wind andSolar Photovoltaics.
9資源エネルギー庁. March 2023.「カーボンニュートラル実現に向けた国際戦略」
10
According to research by Germanwatch, Southeast Asian countries such as Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand,
Vietnam and Cambodia consists of the 20 countries most affected by extreme weather events from 2000-2019.
Germanwatch. 2022. Global Climate Risk Index 2021: Who Suffers Most from Extreme Weather
Events?Weather-Related Loss Events in 2019 and 2000-2019.
6
7

2

CCS also cannot play a vital role for decarbonization in Asia. CCS is expensive, especiallycompared to the plummeting costs of wind and solar globally. The IEA says that CCS’s trackrecord “has largely been one of unmet expectations.”11 Through the Asia CCUS Network,
Japan plans to export and store 22-27% of its domestic emissions to Southeast Asiancountries, although historically, it is one of the biggest global emitters of greenhouse gasses
and has a corresponding responsibility to reduce emissions more than developing countries 12and to support developing countries in their decarbonization pathway. Despite this, Japanese
corporations such as Mitsubishi Corporation, INPEX Corporation and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. areconducting feasibility studies for CCS at multiple gas fields throughout Indonesia.
Moreover, Japanese financing of fossil fuel development projects has already heavily
damaged local communities and the environment across Southeast Asia. In the Verde Island
Passage of the Philippines, a marine corridor known as the center of the center of marine
shorefish biodiversity in the world, marine ecology13 and water quality14 have deteriorated
due to industrial activities including fossil gas construction, some of which was financed byJapan; fisherfolk near the infrastructure are struggling to make ends meet because they catch
fewer or no fish. Furthermore, air pollution caused by burning fossil fuels creates immensely
negative health impacts on local communities. According to research, such air pollution wasresponsible for 8.7 million deaths globally in 2018.15
Instead of imposing fossil gas and fossil-based technologies on Southeast Asia, Japan canshow true friendship towards ASEAN countries, and real leadership in climate action, byshifting the $10.6 billion it spends each year on fossil fuels towards renewable energy.16
In financing energy transitions, Japan must ensure it does not exacerbate the debt burden in
the Global South. This involves reevaluating financial arrangements, such as the predominant
use of loans in Indonesia's Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), where Japan
committed US$1.7 billion17 and a comparatively smaller segment in grants.
We call upon Japan to immediately end its finance for all fossil gas,hydrogen/ammonia/biomass co-firing, CCS and other false solutions and instead shift support
to renewable energy which meets communities’ needs and doesn’t harm the communities.
IEA. September 2023. Net Zero Roadmap: A Global Pathway to Keep the 1.5℃ Goal in Reach. 2023 Update.
地球環境産業技術研究機構（RITE）「2050 年カーボンニュートラルのシナリオ分析」総合資源エ
ネルギー調査会 基本政策分科会. 2021.5. p.22.
13
CEED and Caritas Philippines. June 2022. Marine Ecology Assessment Along the Coast of Fossil Gas-fired
Power Plant and LNG Terminal within the Verde Island Passage, Northern Philippines.
14
CEED and Caritas Philippines. June 2022. The Trend of Water Quality in the Heavy Industrial Area ofBatangas Bay East, Verde Island Passage, Philippines and its Surrounding Areas.
15Karn Vohra, Alina Vodonos, Joel Schwartz, Eloise A. Marais, Melissa P. Sulprizio, Loretta J. Mickley. 2021.
Global mortality from outdoor fine particle pollution generated by fossil fuel combustion: Results from GEOSChem. Environmental Research Vol 195.
16
Oil Change International. November 2022. Japan’s Dirty Secret: World’s top fossil fuel financier is fuelingclimate chaos and undermining energy security.
17
Indonesia's Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). November 2023. Comprehensive Investment andPolicy Plan (CIPP).
11123

We urge Japan to take this “Golden Opportunity” to support ASEAN governments to reach
their climate targets by helping phase out fossil fuels, protecting our communities and ourplanet.

Cc:Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Mr. SUZUKI Shunichi, Minister of Finance
Mr. SAITO Ken, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry
Mr. ITO Shintaro, Minister of the EnvironmentState Ministers for Foreign Affairs
State Ministers of FinanceState Ministers of Economy, Trade and Industry
State Ministers of the Environment
Mr. TANAKA Akihiko, President, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
Mr. HAYASHI Nobumitsu, Governor, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC)
Mr. KURODA Atsuo, Chairman and CEO, Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI)

Signatories
Indonesia
Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI)
Senik Centre Asia
Trend Asia
Koalisi Rakyat untuk Hak atas Air (KRuHA)
AEER
Palangkaraya Ecoligical and Human Rights Studies (PROGRESS)
Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia
Malaysia
Environmental Protection Society Malaysia (EPSM)
Sahabat Alam Malaysia - Friends of the Earth Malaysia
Climate Action Network Southeast Asia
Philippines
Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development
Legal Rights and Naural Resources Center - Friends if the Earth Philippines
People of Asia for Climate Solutions
ThailandGreen South Foundation
Rural Doctor Society
Jet in Thailand
Thai Climate Justice for All (TCJA)
4

SDG Move, Thammasat University
Timor Leste
Francelino Dos Santos Serra
Feminist RevolutionaryJapan
Friends of the Earth Japan
Japan Center for a Sustainable Environment and Society (JACSES)
Mekong Watch
Fridays for Future Tokyo
Greenpeace Japan
350.org Japan
Kiko Network
Regional/International
Asian People’s Movement on Debt and Development
Asia Pacific Network of Environmental Defenders (APNED)
350.org Asia
Greenpeace Southeast Asia (GPSEA)NGO Forum on ADB
Oil Change International
Australia
The Australia InstituteJubilee Australia
Friends of the Earth Australia
Publish What You Pay Australia
Bangladesh
Waterkeepers Bangladesh
Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers AssociationLife and Nature Safeguard Platform
India
Environics Trust
Mineral Inheritors Rights Association
Nepal
Forum for Protection of Public Interest (Pro Public)/FoE Nepal
Pakistan
Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum
Centre for Environmental Law and Community Rights Inc.
5

Papua New Guinea
CELCOR -Friends of the Earth Papua New Guinea
South Korea
Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC)
FoE Korea
Sri Lanka
Centre for Environmental Justice/ FoE Sri Lanka
CanadaClimate Emergency Unit
Wilderness Committee
Doctors for Planetary HealthStand.earth
United States
Friends of the Earth US
Texas Campaign for the Environment
Nuclear Energy Information Service (NEIS)
TRUST Climate Action Strategists
Veterans for Climate JusticeGreece Baptist Church Sustainability Team
Wall of WomenSEE (Social Eco Education)
Highland Park Ecology and Environmental GroupPort Arthur Community Action Network(PACAN)
Rachel Carson Council
American Baptist Churches of the Rochester Genesee Region Eco Justice Collaborative
Earth Action, Inc.
Climate Generation
350Hawaii
Unite North Metro Denver
International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute
Terra Advocati
Animals Are Sentient Beings, Inc.
ColorBrightonGreen
North American Climate, Conservation and Environment(NACCE)
Vote Climate
Don't Waste Arizona
Intheshadowofthewolf
Argentine
6

Tierra Nativa / Amigos de la Tierra Argentina
Armenia
Armenian Women For Health and Healthy Environment NGO /AWHHE/
D.R. Congo
Innovation pour le Développement et la Protection de l'environnement
Germany
urgewald
IrelandFriends of the Earth Ireland
Netherland
Milieudefensie
South Africa
South Durban Community Environmental Aliance
Spain
Friends of the Earth Spain
SwedenJordens Vänner / Friends of the Earth Sweden
United Kingdom
Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Corner House
UpliftContact:
Friends of the Earth Japan
info@foejapan.org

7