The Role of Japan in theStruggle for Climate Justicefrom an Asian Perspective

The struggle for climate justice is an intense race against
time and huge challenges that seem insurmountable
The world has already warmed to 1.2 degrees above preindustrial levels and we have already been experiencing
increasingly devastating impacts for the last decade.
Scientists tell us that what the world will do in this decade
will determine if it will still be possible to keep global
temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius - which is thegoal of the Paris agreement. This goal translates toreaching real zero global emissions before or by 2050.

More than 75% of global GHG emissions come from theenergy sector, from the extraction and use of fossil fuels coal, gas and oil.
Fighting for climate justice and saving people and planet
from catastrophic climate change requires a rapid, just andequitable transition out of fossil fuels and into 100%
renewable energy.
And this is where JAPAN has a huge role, the country, its
government, its corporations, it people.

Japan has been the world's largest public financier ofFossil Fuels - averaging $10.6 billion annually from 2019 to2021 in financial involvement throughout Asia and otherparts of the world.
Japan's big private banks and financial conglomerates alsocount among the biggest private financiers and investors infossil fuels.
Thus there has been a tremendous amount of attention andpressure on Japan to stop its financing of fossil fuels ending the financing of new projects and followed bywithdrawing its involvement in existing energy projects.

The Japanese government has committed to ending directgovernment financing of unabated coal overseas, as part ofthe G7. But this commitment is not enough.
Japan must also stop promoting and investing in gas astransition fuel. It is possible, feasible, more economical,
safer and more compatible with climate goals to shift
directly to renewable energy systems. The promotion of gas
as transition or bridge fuel is only serving the profit agenda
of fossil fuel companies.
Japan must also stop promoting false solutions such as
Hydrogen and Ammonia.

While Hydrogen can be produced from renewable energy,
Japan's push for Hydrogen energy while it issimultaneously pushing for LNG expansion can only beseen as having the intention and effect of prolonging the"need" for Fossil Gas energy, deepening vulnerabilities toan expensive, dangerous and highly volatile energy
commodity, increasing distraction from real renewableenergy solutions and further delaying the decarbonization
process.

Similarly, Japan's push for Ammonia has the danger ofextending the life of coal fired power plants. Ammonia-coal
co-firing is being presented as "abated" coal technology.
The world needs an immediate and total exit from Coal if weare to stop climate catastrophe - there is no room forloopholes and exceptions such as "abated" coal which will
still emit unwanted dangerous GHGs. The use of ammonia
for co-firing includes other harmful impacts such as very
high costs and toxic air and water pollution.

What Japan will do in the next months and years will makea huge difference to the safety, well-being and future of ourpeople, communities and our planet.
Japan - in particular its government, public institutions andprivate banks and corporations - must stop being a hugepart of the problem and instead actively pursue solutionsand fulfill its obligations towards people, communities andcountries who are suffering the most from climate change.

● Stop funding fossil fuels; stop promoting fossil gasand false solutions● Deliver on obligations to provide climate finance very much needed for the energy transition as well
as for supporting adaptation programs and coveringcosts for loss and damage● Pursue a domestic energy transition to reach realzero way before 2050
We urge the people and communities in Japan to work withus, movements in Japan and all of Asia, for a fossil fuel freefuture.