Japanese financing keeps South and Southeast Asia hooked on fossil fuels

Prime Minister Ishiba should redefine Japan's role in climate leadership

Yuki Tanabe, Susanne Wong and Goni Ben Gera

November 11, 2024 05:05 JST

The Maitree Super Thermal Power Project stands near the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, in Rampal, Bangladesh, started burning coal in 2022 as part of the country's plan to meet its energy needs and improve living standards. © AP

Yuki Tanabe is a program coordinator at JACSES. Susanne Wong is Asia program manager at Oil Change International. Goni Ben Gera is public finance lead at Solutions for Our Climate.

As the world strives to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and transition toward renewable energy, Japan -- despite pledging carbon neutrality by 2050 and committing at the 2022 G7 summit to end international fossil fuel investments -- remains the third-largest provider of public fossil fuel financing globally.