This briefing, “Japan’s Dirty Secret: World’s top fossil fuel financier is fueling climate chaos and undermining energy security,” reveals that Japan is the world’s largest public financier of fossil fuel projects, providing 10.6 billion USD per year between 2019 and 2021. Japan has been leading the drive to expand gas consumption in Asia and is the world’s leading financier of gas infrastructure globally, spending USD 6.7 billion on gas projects on average each year between 2019 and 2021.
g7 public finance
Explainer: What the COP26 and G7 promises to stop funding fossils in 2022 mean for climate and communities
39 countries and institutions signed a joint commitment to end any support for fossil fuels flowing abroad by the end of 2022, and in its place prioritize finance for clean energy. Recently the G7 reaffirmed their commitment and were now also joined by Japan, the only G7 member who hadn’t signed on. Here’s what that means.
Report: Countries could shift almost USD 28 billion/year from fossil fuels to jump-start the energy transition—if they follow through on their pledges
The Glasgow Statement on public finance requires signatories to end new direct overseas support for fossil fuels by the end of 2022 and fully prioritize finance for a clean and just energy transition. But only a handful of signatories have begun to turn these pledges into action.
CSOs condemn G7 leaders for caving in to gas industry and weakening pledge to end international public finance for fossil fuels
G7 leaders watered down a commitment made in May by their energy ministers to end international public finance for fossil fuels by the end of this year, drawing a swift rebuke from climate and development campaigners.
Response: G7 ministers pledge to end public finance for fossil fuels by the end of this year, prioritizing clean energy support instead
Today G7 climate, energy and environment ministers issued a communique committing to end public finance for fossil fuels by the end of this year.
Opportunity to shift G7 finance from fossils to clean energy
This briefing illustrates how G7 public finance flows remain severely misaligned with climate goals. G7 public finance for fossil fuels between 2018 and 2020 totalled over USD 100 billion, four times its support for renewable energy.