December 15, 2023

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Iwabuchi Tomo on December 14 in the Upper House members’ office building received a visit by Southeast Asian climate activists protesting against the Japanese government’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) development and promotion of ammonia co-firing for coal-fired power generation in Southeast Asian countries under the guise of decarbonization.

They came to Japan in the runup to the first summit of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) to be held in Tokyo on December 18.

In the meeting with the JCP lawmaker, Angelica Dacanay from the Philippines talked about the Japanese government’s LNG development project in her country. She said that the area where LNG development takes place is called the “Amazon of the Ocean” with its rich marine ecosystem. She reported that fishermen operating their businesses in the area recently filed a complaint against the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), a major sponsor of the development project, on the grounds that the project violates existing laws in the Philippines.

The Filipo activist stressed, “In Southeast Asia, despite its huge renewable energy potential, the use of fossil fuels is still being encouraged. This is totally different from the demand of people in the region who are most vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change.”

Indonesian activist Rere Christanto said, “Some Japanese investors provide finance for ammonia co-firing and other technologies that prolong the life of coal-fired power plants, which will bring about negative impacts on local communities.”

Iwabuchi criticized the Japanese government for its intent to postpone its departure from reliance on coal-fired power generation, and said, “I’ll work hard to urge the Japanese government to hear your voices and radically change its energy policy.”