Basiran
BANGKOK, THAILAND (15 September 2026) – Greenpeace East Asia has issued a strong condemnation of Japan’s recent policy pronouncements at the Japan Energy Summit, held concurrently with Gastech 2026 in Bangkok. The environmental organization criticizes the Japanese government, including remarks made by Tetsuya Azuma, Director at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), for advocating fossil gas and internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles as pillars of regional economic growth and energy security. This stance, Greenpeace argues, directly contradicts global decarbonization efforts and jeopardizes commitments made under the Paris Agreement.
The summit, a prominent international gathering for the gas and energy industry, provided a platform for Japanese officials to articulate their energy strategy for the coming years. However, their emphasis on continued investment in fossil fuels has drawn sharp criticism from environmental advocates who see it as a retrograde step in the face of escalating climate change impacts.
Japan’s "POWERR Asia" Initiative Under Scrutiny
Central to Japan’s strategy, as outlined at the summit, is Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s "POWERR Asia" initiative (Partnership on Wide Energy and Resources Resilience Asia). Greenpeace East Asia views this partnership, alongside the ongoing subsidization of polluting ICE vehicles, as a significant "climate trap." The organization warns that these policies will not only hinder global decarbonization targets but also undermine the foundational principles of international climate cooperation established under the Paris Agreement.
The timing of these pronouncements is particularly significant. Japanese government officials themselves acknowledged critical energy vulnerabilities during the summit. These include Japan’s extreme reliance on crude oil transiting the Strait of Hormuz, with approximately 93% of its supply passing through this volatile chokepoint. Furthermore, the officials highlighted severe market disruptions affecting downstream products like naphtha and the necessity of subsidizing transport costs to circumvent Middle Eastern supply bottlenecks. Despite these admitted fragilities, the government’s response, as presented at Gastech, was not a decisive pivot towards renewable energy sources and zero-emission electric vehicles (EVs). Instead, the commitment to "POWERR Asia" was reaffirmed, signaling an intention to expand overseas oil stockpiles and fossil gas infrastructure.
A Contradictory Approach to Vehicle Electrification
Adding to the controversy, Japanese officials, while acknowledging the undeniable global surge in EV adoption across China, Southeast Asia, and Europe, defended their domestic policy of promoting ICE vehicles. They also controversially promoted biofuels as a viable climate solution, a stance widely disputed by climate scientists due to the significant land-use change and emissions associated with their production. This dual approach – pushing for continued fossil fuel infrastructure abroad while appearing to lag in domestic vehicle electrification – has been characterized by Greenpeace as a politically motivated decision, detached from environmental imperatives and economic realities.
Vested Interests and Global Implications
Greenpeace East Asia asserts that Japan’s energy strategy is largely driven by short-term industrial politics and the influence of vested corporate interests. By actively promoting fossil fuel reliance overseas and delaying auto sector decarbonization, Japan risks exacerbating global emissions. This policy also threatens to lock developing economies into "stranded asset" risks, where investments in fossil fuel infrastructure become economically unviable in the long term due to the accelerating transition to clean energy. Such actions, Greenpeace argues, set back the worldwide transition away from fossil fuels, a transition that is increasingly seen as essential for planetary health and long-term economic stability.
Japan’s Role as a Public Financier of Fossil Fuels
The organization pointed to Japan’s significant role as a global public financier of fossil fuels. Between 2013 and 2024, Japan reportedly channeled a staggering US$93 billion in public finance towards overseas oil and gas projects. This figure is nearly four times the US$24.5 billion allocated to clean energy initiatives during the same period. Notably, gas-only projects constituted a substantial 60% of this fossil fuel financing.
Public financial institutions like the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) are implicated in this trend. According to reports, the attributable emissions from JBIC’s investments exceed 400 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually. This figure is alarmingly larger than the total national emissions of countries like the United Kingdom or France, underscoring the global climate impact of Japan’s public finance policies.
Domestic Vulnerabilities and Economic Risks
Domestically, Japan’s deep-seated reliance on fossil fuels creates significant economic vulnerabilities. As the world’s fifth-largest energy market and the second-largest importer of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Japan imported nearly 65 million tonnes of LNG in 2025. The nation’s crude oil supply chain is even more precarious, with approximately 90-95% sourced from the Middle East. A substantial portion, estimated at 70-93%, of these oil shipments transit the Strait of Hormuz, rendering the Japanese economy acutely exposed to supply disruptions, currency depreciation, and imported inflation.
Despite efforts by government officials to present regional oil stockpiling, downstream subsidies, and unproven solutions like biofuels as pathways to enhanced resilience, Greenpeace maintains that these are inadequate and ultimately damaging. The organization contends that doubling down on imported fossil fuels, coupled with continued reliance on nuclear restarts and polluting combustion vehicles, constitutes an unsafe and globally detrimental policy.
Voices from the Ground: Greenpeace Japan and Thailand
Kazue Suzuki, Climate & Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace Japan, expressed strong criticism of METI’s vision. "METI’s vision locks Japan and the entire Asia region into expensive, imported gas at the exact wrong time," Suzuki stated. "With supply routes through the Middle East becoming increasingly unstable, the plan raises energy bills and multiplies risk for households and businesses. Gas is not a bridge to growth but a financial trap. Nuclear power is costly and unsafe, and technologies like ammonia co-firing and CCUS are distractions. Japan needs to stop financing fossil gas overseas and put its money into solar and wind that actually deliver energy independence. Ultimately, the country needs a swift, decisive phaseout of all fossil fuels, starting with coal."
Echoing these concerns, Manun Wongmasoh, Climate and Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace Thailand, highlighted the negative implications for Southeast Asia. "Southeast Asia does not need more fossil gas or Japanese financing for new gas infrastructure," Wongmasoh asserted. "Thailand and Japan should end their LNG cooperation MOU and avoid locking the region into decades of fossil fuel dependence. Our region has abundant renewable energy potential. What we need is investment in renewables, not new pipelines and LNG terminals that lock countries into volatile fossil fuel prices and risk becoming stranded assets. Doubling down on gas and nuclear, including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in the name of ‘energy security’ is reckless. It makes energy more expensive and leaves countries exposed to global market shocks, and leaves people across Southeast Asia to pay the price."
A Call for Urgent Policy Shift
Greenpeace East Asia has issued a clear call to action, urging the Japanese government and its associated financial institutions to implement immediate policy changes. These include:
- Ending all public financing for overseas fossil gas and oil infrastructure.
- Phasing out support for internal combustion engines.
- Committing to a just, renewable- and EV-led energy transition worldwide.
The organization emphasizes that a rapid and equitable shift towards renewable energy sources and electric mobility is not only crucial for environmental sustainability but also for ensuring long-term energy security and economic resilience for Japan and the broader Asian region. The decisions made today at international forums like Gastech will shape the energy landscape and climate trajectory for decades to come, and Greenpeace maintains that Japan’s current path is a dangerous deviation from the urgent global need for climate action.
Supporting Data and Context
The critique by Greenpeace East Asia is underpinned by several key data points and contextual factors:
- "Billions Off Course: Japan’s Oil and Gas Financing Fueling Climate Breakdown" (Solutions For Our Climate, August 3, 2026): This report details Japan’s substantial public finance for fossil fuels, highlighting the disparity with clean energy investments.
- "New Report on Climate Impacts of Japan’s Public Finance" (Friends of the Earth Japan, November 5, 2025): This publication quantifies the significant climate impact of Japan’s public financial institutions, such as JBIC, in terms of attributable CO2 equivalent emissions.
- "The market outlook for gas and LNG in Asia" (Energy Connects, June 8, 2026): This analysis provides data on Japan’s position as a major LNG importer and the broader Asian market trends.
- "Strait of Hormuz" (International Energy Agency (IEA), July 10, 2026): This resource from the IEA underscores the geopolitical significance and supply chain risks associated with the Strait of Hormuz for global oil trade, particularly impacting nations like Japan.
These reports collectively paint a picture of a nation deeply entrenched in fossil fuel dependency, both domestically and internationally, while simultaneously facing significant economic and environmental risks. The Gastech 2026 summit in Bangkok served as a focal point for this ongoing debate, with Greenpeace East Asia seizing the opportunity to challenge Japan’s energy direction and advocate for a more sustainable and secure future.
Media Contact:
Yujie Xue
International Communications Officer
Greenpeace East Asia
+852 5127 3416
[email protected]
Nana Wu
Pevita Pearce
