In recent years, while international financial institutions are withdrawing from fossil fuel projects one after another, Japanese public financial institutions, such as the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), have been providing vast amounts of support for fossil fuel projects which exacerbate climate change. In order to stop support for overseas fossil fuel projects by Japanese public financial institutions, JACSES is urging them to end their support for fossil fuel projects in cooperation with an international NGO network: Fossil Free Japan.
Our Activities:
- May 2, 2025: Fact Sheet “Barossa Gas Field Project (Australia)” (PDF)
- May 2, 2025: Fact Sheet “Middle Arm Sustainable Development Project (Australia)” (PDF)
- March 24, 2025: Press release ”13 investors probing more into environmental and human rights issues on Papua LNG”
- February 25, 2025: Joint Statement ”Unfeasible; the promotion of the Alaska LNG development agreed at the Japan-US Summit”
- January 21, 2025: Open Letter Requesting to Engage with TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil, Santos and ENEOS to stop the Papua LNG project
- October 1, 2024: Letter to 50 major JBIC bondholders requesting to engage with JBIC to stop financing new fossil fuel projects
- September 6, 2024: Joint Statement ”Local company official and others arrested for corruption in ODA coal-fired power project in Bangladesh”
- June 4, 2024: Joint Statement: NGOs strongly condemn decision by Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to finance Woodside Energy, the Australian gas extraction giant
- April 9, 2024: Joint Statement ”Prime Minister Kishida should cooperate with the US and the Philippines for true decarbonization”
- April 1, 2024: Joint Statement ”NGOs Strongly Condemn Decision by Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and Citibank to finance two gas-fired power projects in Mexico”
- March 28, 2024: Joint Statement ”NGOs urge Japanese financial institutions to stop developing/supporting the Scarborough gas field in Australia”
- January 30, 2024: Joint Statement ”JBIC financing for two gas power projects in Mexico would violate the G7 agreement”
- October 5, 2023: Briefing Paper ”JICA supported energy master plan in Bangladesh, soaked in fossil fuels and not aligned with the Paris Agreement”
- April 14, 2023: Open Letter ”No room for fossil fuels in climate-vulnerable developing countries – G7 nations must reject the rollout of false energy transition technologies”
- March 2, 2023: Press Release ”Japan’s Zero Emissions strategy is a Greenwashing 140 Civil society groups from 18 countries sent an open letter to G7 chair demanding support on swift, just and equitable transition from fossil fuels and not on false solutions”
- November 8, 2022: New briefing ”Japan is the world’s largest provider of public finance for fossil fuels, spending 10.6 billion USD a year”
- November 1, 2022: 56 groups from 29 countries opposed to Japan’s promotion of False Solution Japanese Government should commit to ending fossil fuel finance at COP27
- September 21, 2022: Joint Statement ”The Japanese Government’s “GX Strategy” is soaked in fossil fuels Japan should provide real solutions for decarbonization, but not false solutions like hydrogen and ammonia co-firing and LNG”
- June 24, 2022: Joint Statement ”Victory for local people and civil society! Japanese government announced to halt its supports for Matarbari 2 and Indramayu coal plants – Conversion to the false solutions, such as ammonia co-firing and gas-fired power, should be avoided”
- April 14, 2022: An open letter regarding an investment policy toward the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) providing support for new fossil fuel projects was submitted to 33 JBIC bondholders
- March 30, 2022: An open letter regarding the investment policy in the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which is preparing to support for new coal-fired power projects
- March 2, 2022: Joint Statement “NGOs welcome Sumitomo Corporation’s decision on not participating in building Matarbari 2 coal-fired power plant -Japanese government and JICA should immediately stop considering the loan providing-”
- February 28, 2022: Joint Statement “Japanese government should recall its interpretation of OECD rules on coal – official support should not be provided for ammonia co-firing”
- January 7, 2022: Joint Statement “NGOs urge JBIC and private banks to drop the finance for Barossa gas development project in Australia”
- December 27, 2021: Joint Statement “NGOs urge JBIC and private banks to drop the finance for Barossa gas development project in Australia”
- December 10, 2021: Joint Statement “NGOs urge JERA to withdraw from Barossa gas project – The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and Japanese private banks should also not be involved”
- September 14, 2021: NGOs call on JICA to stop funding Matarbari coal-fired power project in Bangladesh in reaction to injunction by Dhaka High Court
- September 9, 2021: Joint Statement “NGOs urge the Japanese government to take international leadership in the OECD negotiations towards the complete end of public support for coal projects”
- August 18, 2021: Press Release “US Guidance Restricts Support for Fossil Fuels at Multilateral Development Banks”
- July 28, 2021: Letter sent to request to engage with developers and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) not to support new gas projects in Canada and Australia
- July 1, 2021: Joint Statement “NGOs Strongly Condemn Decision by Japan Bank for International Cooperation to Support Waitsia 2 Gas Development Project in Australia”
- June 29, 2021: Joint Statement “Japan must not be allowed to violate the G7 Leaders’ Statement – Supporting new Coal Plants in Indonesia and Bangladesh goes against the Agreement”
- June 24, 2021: Press Release “Bondholders challenged JICA to Stop Supporting Coal Projects in Bangladesh and Indonesia”
- June 7, 2021: Joint Statement “NGOs call on Japan to end overseas public finance for fossil fuels including Indramayu and Matarbari 2 coal plants, at G7 Summit”
- April 23, 2021: Joint Statement “Japan lags behind South Korea in overseas coal financing at the Leaders Summit on Climate -Japan needs to withdraw support for coal plants in Indonesia and Bangladesh”
- April 19, 2021: Joint Statement “NGOs welcome the U.S.-Japan announcement to align Official Financing with the Net-zero Emissions by 2050 – But Japan needs to withdraw support from two coal projects”
- April 5, 2021: Joint Press Statement “NGOs call on President Biden and Prime Minister Suga to take strong leadership on ending public support for coal, oil and gas at the U.S.-Japan Summit”
- March 25, 2021: Press Release “NGOs call on 39 JICA Bond Underwriters and Bondholders to urge JICA to Stop Supporting Coal Projects in Bangladesh and Indonesia”
- October 29, 2020: No Coal Go Green! Project Video “Tell Japan to Stop Financing Overseas Coal Power!”
- September 28, 2020: Press Release “NGOs call on the French Government to stand firm against Japan’s ongoing support to coal ahead of the Japanese Foreign Minister’s visit to France this week and the Finance in Common Summit in November”
- July 9, 2020: Joint Statement on the government’s revised policy on overseas coal power projects
- July 3, 2020: Joint Statement “Japanese NGOs again call on the government to end financing for ALL overseas coal power projects after media report on upcoming revisions to Infrastructure System Export Strategy”
- June 23, 2020: Joint Statement “NGOs protest Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs decision on preparatory survey for Phase 2 of Matarbari coal-fired power plant (Bangladesh) despite climate crisis and surplus power supply”
- May 26, 2020: Government of Japan should decide to stop funding exports of coal power technology in its Infrastructure System Export Strategy
- April 24, 2020: Joint letter on principles for the revision of Japan’s infrastructure system export strategy and public assistance for coal-fired power projects overseas
- April 23, 2020: Joint Statement on JBIC Governor Maeda’s Remark Japan Must Bring Complete End to Public Finance for Coal Power
- April 17, 2020: 5 reasons why Government of Japan should not support Matarbari coal-fired power project (Phase 2)
- April 1, 2020: Demand letter to the PM Abe: Don’t finance the phase 2 of Matarbari coal-fired power project in Bangladesh
- December 5, 2019: Report “Indonesian Coal-fired Power Exposed to Corruption – Cirebon coal-fired power project: problems on environment, human rights, and corruption, and banks’ non-compliance with international norms”
- April 18, 2018: Trump and Abe’s pro-coal agenda disastrous for the planet
- July 21, 2017: Joint Statement “NO to JICA and Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ at GCF”
- June 5, 2017: Briefing Paper “The Truth of GPIF’s Investment in Coal Companies”
- May 24, 2016: Press Release “Under the Rug Report Reveals G7 Nations Financed $42 Billion in Coal Development Worldwide, Contradicting Climate Goals”
- May 20, 2016: Pre-G7 International Symposium Climate Change and Energy: Issues of Coal-fire Power Generation was held on May 20, 2016
- November 18, 2015: Joint Press Release “OECD countries agree to limit overseas public financing for coal-fired power plants”
- October 15, 2015: Joint NGOs briefing paper “Coal finance: will the OECD lag behind emerging countries because of Japan?”
- September 7, 2015: Joint Letter to JBIC on Darlipari and Tanda Coal-Fired Power Plants in India
- June 9, 2015: Presentation Materials “International Symposium: Climate Change and Coal (May 29, 2015)”
- April 24, 2015: Joint Report “Dirty Coal: Breaking the Myth About Japanese-Funded Coal Plants”
- November 15, 2014: Recommendations on Japan’s position on Coal Power generation set forth by Japanese NGOs
- March 24, 2014: Fact Sheet “Meja coal-fired power plant in India”
- February 4, 2014: Kick-Off Seminar “Is it okay for Japan to continue to support coal-fired power plants in developing countries? (February 3, 2014)”
- January 30, 2014: Press Release “Environmental NGOs say No! to JBIC’s coal financing -America and Europe Move Away from Coal but Japan Continues to Support the World’s Biggest Coal-Fired Power Plants”
Media Coverage (Japanese media coverages are available at Japanese site):
- April 29, 2025: The New Daily “Why Australians benefit little from gas exports and Japanese companies benefit a lot”
- February 20, 2025: Beyond the Energy Security Myth- Japan-Aus LNG – Yuki Tanabe | Climate Integrity Summit 2025
- For media coverage before 2025, please refer to the list of articles from the “STOP! Japanese Fossil Fuel Finance” project.
