Japan government lender won't get out of coal overseas

Others will provide financing if Tokyo doesn't, JBIC chief argues

Smoke billows from a coal-fired power plant in Harbin, China. Coal is facing headwinds around the world for the amount of carbon emissions it produces. © Reuters

SHIKO UEDA, Nikkei staff writer

February 28, 2020 03:56 JST

TOKYO -- Despite growing global pushback against coal-fired power plants, the state-owned Japan Bank for International Cooperation plans to continue financing such projects overseas, bucking growing divestment efforts among private-sector lenders.

"Is divestment the solution?" JBIC Gov. Tadashi Maeda asked at a news conference Thursday.