Protest: Message from Deputy Executive Director at Friends of the Earth Japan heard at Melbourne event outside Bourke St Japanese Embassy

A message from the Deputy Executive Director at Friends of the Earth Japan, Ayumi Fukakusa (pictured) was read out to those at a Bourke St, Melbourne protest staged out the front of the Japanese Embassy.

The Melbourne protest was organised by that city's Friends of the Earth.

Ms Fukakusa's message, delivered at similar protests all around the world said:

"Japan is one of the top financier of fossil fuel projects. Japan uses public money to support destructive projects. Back in April, the G7 Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment was held in Sapporo. The joint communiqué included a commitment to achieving a decarbonized power sector by 2035, as in the previous year. It also noted that accelerating the transition to “clean energy" is the key to energy security, and that the phase-out of unabated fossil fuels must be accelerated. This statement is an indication of the international community’s strong sense of urgency regarding the need to strengthen measures in the face of the accelerating climate crisis. On the other hand, Japan’s backward-looking stance was conspicuous among the G7 members, as it opposed the inclusion of a deadline for phase-out of coal-fired power generation and insisted that gas be maintained as a “bridge fuel” in the shift to clean energy.

"The promotion of an international “Green Transformation" was clearly stated in the Ministers’ Meeting’s Joint Communique. It needs to be emphasised that Japan’s “Green Transformation”  is full of “misguided climate change measures" that have uncertain carbon reduction effects and are not consistent with the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement, such as building or extending the operation of nuclear power plants, extending the life of thermal power generation through co-firing of hydrogen, ammonia, and biomass or CCS. Fuel sources and technologies such as hydrogen, ammonia, and CCS, have yet to be proven for practical application and commercialization, and their emission reduction effects and economics are questionable, which will delay real measures from being implemented, and these technologies will not be ready in time for 2035. Although hydrogen and ammonia are mentioned in the joint statement as low-carbon technologies, various conditions are attached to their development and use, including the need to be able to demonstrate emission-reducing effects and consistency with the 1.5°C target.

"It is very important for us that you all from Australia to put pressure on the Japanese government and Japanese corporations that are still running fossil fuel projects in Asia and Australia by holding a protest and showing solidarity during the G7 summit. We need to strengthen our international cooperation to make Japan completely withdraw from all of their fossil fuel projects and financial supports. Not only during the G7 summit, let’s continue to focus on amplifying the voices of people throughout the world, especially from Asia where many Japanese fossil fuel projects are ongoing despite the severe impacts of climate change in the region, against the Japanese government and Japanese corporations."

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