Leveraging relationships so Asia never reaches net zero
Overpaid industry lobbyists, policymakers, and ministers will pretend to care about the latest energy market trends while conveniently ignoring their own destructive practices.
This artwork incorporates AI-generated elements for creative expression.
50%
of global international public finance for climate-wrecking fossil gas (LNG) export capacity was provided by Japan.
2.9%
#1
Unfortunately, Japan is the leading global financier of dirty fossil gas (LNG) export capacity
154
million tonnes of CO2
Amount in public & private financing Japan has provided for dirty fossil gas (LNG) in the US
Embracing collaboration to drive… something vaguely resembling change
The Japan Energy Summit & Exhibition is where the global energy community and companies like JERA come together to pat themselves on the back for rearranging the same old fossil fuel energy sources.
Back for the 6th time in Tokyo from 3 - 5 June 2024, the event will delve into Japan’s energy mix from LNG and gas to hydrogen, and ammonia (because apparently, discussing ways to prolong fossil fuel use is still considered part of a "transition.")
The Summit & Exhibition is a one-stop shop for energy “solutions” which ingeniously help ignore that fossil fuels are driving the climate crisis.
Japan Embracing Climate-Wrecking Tech
Japan, the ‘hero’ of energy transition across Asia is expertly derailing the roadmap to netzero with high-risk, unproven technologies.
Its brainchild "Asia Zero Emissions Community" (AZEC) is pushing the brilliant plan to rely on LNG, co-firing of ammonia and hydrogen at coal and gas power plants as well as CCS. Ammonia co-firing is the process of burning ammonia and coal together at an existing, retrofitted coal plant. It does nothing to bring down emissions and everything to keep us burning dirty coal. Co-firing hydrogen at gas plants also prolongs the use of fossil fuels while 95% of hydrogen is also made from gas.
Who needs reliable and cheaper renewable energy solutions when you can cling desperately to fossil fuels?
JERA’s “Commitment” to the environment
JERA is a leader in Asia's journey to double down on LNG projects in places like Bangladesh and Pakistan- because nothing says environmental stewardship like investing in projects that wreak havoc on communities and ecosystems. Hats off to JERA for its investments in, well, polluting the environment.
JERA’s Damaging Deals
Freeport LNG:
2022 Explosion
An explosion occurred at the Freeport LNG export terminal in 2022 due to inadequate procedures, human error, and fatigue. The project is backed by Japanese private and public finance and sponsored by JERA and Osaka Gas. Since the explosion, Freeport has struggled with a “lack of reliability.” Communities still have safety concerns but Freeport LNG has not engaged with them. Pollution from LNG facilities and petrochemicals is harming local shrimp fisheries and the livelihoods of those who depend on them.
Chattogram:
Carbon Bomb
JERA, Mitsui and the Japanese government are attempting to release a carbon bomb in Chattogram in Bangladesh. Close to 20GW of new coal and LNG power are planned in the region, and Japanese and US companies represent two-thirds of all known foreign sponsors. Every year Bangladesh experiences 73,000 avoidable deaths related to health impacts from air pollution from burning fossil fuels.
Philippines:
LNG expansion
JERA owns 27% of LNG developer and ammonia co-firing proponent Aboitiz Power Corporation. JERA and Aboitiz are working together to develop new LNG-to-power projects and to scope the use of ammonia co-firing at existing Philippine coal plants. The companies face increasing protests for promoting technologies that will prolong the use of fossils and harm communities and ecosystems.
Hekinan Coal Power Plant: Costly Co-firing
JERA is testing ammonia co-firing at the large-scale Hekinan coal power plant as part of a Japanese government-subsidized demonstration. Ammonia is almost exclusively produced from gas and coal. Ammonia co-firing is costly, energy-intensive, and prolongs the use of coal plants which have serious health impacts.
Barossa LNG:
Injustice for Tiwi Islanders
The Barossa gas project in Australia would release 15.6 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually once completed and will put the Tiwi Islanders’s pristine country at risk. It will threaten sea life, sacred cultural practices.
JERA has a 12.5% stake in the Santos-led project, which JBIC financed through a $346 million USD loan. Barossa links to the Darwin LNG project which is also backed by JERA.
Despite the Barossa gas project having started in 2004, Tiwi Islanders were only consulted about the development in 2022 after they won a Federal Court case on this issue.
FOSSIL FUEL PARTNERS AND PROPONENTS
JERA:
LNG PUSHER
JAPANESE GOVERNMENT:
PLANET WRECKER
JBIC:
FOSSIL FUEL FUNDER
Civic movements and communities across the country have a clear ambition in mind: "a full transition to renewable energy, which is the only genuinely beneficial option for the Philippines. The Japanese government and Japanese institutions should not act as roadblock to this…”
Executive Director
Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED)
Time to Quit Fossil Fuels
The Japanese government and JERA must stop derailing the energy transition and promoting technologies that will prolong the use of fossil fuels. Instead, JERA should speed up the development of renewable energy projects. Expanding fossil fuels while developing renewables undermines efforts to limit warming to the critical 1.5°C threshold.
We urge JERA to transition away from fossil fuels by:
Stopping all planned gas and LNG projects.
Announcing an exit from proposed gas and LNG projects in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Australia, USA and elsewhere in the world.
Working in partnership with communities to develop renewables-based energy systems.
Climate activists protesting in front of Freeport LNG
Latest News and Press Releases
Japanese PM Kishida Must Stop Derailing the Global Energy Transition | Opinion
Newsweek | Published on 03/04/2024
Louisiana communities are suffering from Japan-funded LNG exports
Climate Home News | Published on 09/04/2024