Protests in 12 Indian cities against Japan, G7 ‘push’ for natural gas, 'false' solutions in Asia

By Ashwin Parthasarathy*
Climate campaigners and groups held rallies in 12 cities of India have protested against Japan and the G7’s continued promotion of fossil gas and technologies. The protests happened ahead of the G7 Leaders Summit scheduled on May 19-21 in Hiroshima, Japan. Japan is this year’s G7 president and the only Asian member of the grouping of seven of the world's advanced economies, including Canada, Italy, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States, all prominent fossil fuel financiers.

The protests in India were held outside the collector's office in Bodhgaya which has one of the largest Japanese tourist footfalls, led by the Indian Social Action Forum and All India Hawker Federation; Japanese Consulate Kolkata led by National Hawker Federation and Prasada village in Chhatisgarh led Nadi Ghati Morcha. These rallies called out the government of Japan for being among the world’s leading fossil fuel investors and their lacklustre stance towards phasing-out fossil fuels; promotion of fossil gas and false solutions like hydrogen and ammonia technology.
Japan is the largest public fossil fuel financier, with an annual average of USD 10.6 billion towards fossil fuel projects from 2019 to 2021 according to a report. At the same time there are tensions between Japan and other G7 members over their differences on carbon emissions and phase out of fossil fuel technologies.
In the recent communique from the G7 from the energy and climate ministers meeting last April affirmed their commitment to aligning with the Paris Agreement set in 2015. The ministers agreed to drastically increase solar capacity and offshore wind. However, they did not set a timeline for a gas phase-out and welcomed investments in gas subject to conditions. Technologies such as hydrogen and ammonia were also accepted as technologies that can help with the decarbonization process.

Renewables-based electricity is now the cheapest power option in most regions. According to research, renewables are already the default option for capacity additions in the power sector in almost all countries and dominate current investments. Renewables are also the most readily-available and cost-effective way to provide 90 per cent of all decarbonisation by 2050 -- that is, if currently installed renewable power capacity will be tripled by 2030.

“Japan and the rest of the G7 display a blatant disregard for the pressing needs of both people and the planet, instead of meetingaa their climate finance obligations and fulfilling their commitment to end by 2022 their public financing of fossil fuels,” said Lidy Nacpil, coordinator of Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD) and Convenor of the Asian Energy Network (AEN).
Saktiman Ghosh, General Secretary of the National Hawker Federation felt, “As the host for this year’s G20 Summit, India has a deep responsibility of steering this powerful body of countries towards a cleaner future. Japan should not be allowed to interfere and use the G7 to derail the world by promoting false solutions! We also reject the notion that the new Indo-Pacific strategy will be used to export fossil gas, non-renewable hydrogen and ammonia in the region. This new kind of energy colonialism does not have a place in the equitable future for Asia.”
”No to LNG and strongly rejecting any Finance in Fossil fuel project in Asia. We demand a Climate safe future in the Globe. Let us join to create a better EARTH”, said Gautam Bandyopadhyay of Nadi-Ghati Morcha.
Vidya Dinker, President of Indian Social Action Forum said, "The leadership of the G7 and the G20 have the mandate and more importantly, the responsibility to urgently take action to arrest temperature rise and the impacts of the climate crisis. The hope and aspirations of millions in the global south are now anchored with them. We are holding this mobilisation in Bodhgaya an important spiritual node for many Japanese, so they can carry this clarion call to their government and the other G7 leaders that all excuses have run out, fossil fuel investments need to stop now."
---
*Asian People's Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD), a regional alliance of peoples’ movements, community organizations, coalitions, NGOs and networks

Comments

King Corona and his descendents: How long will the Dynasty last?

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD* “Corona ” is in the media once again, precipitating a déjà-vu feeling and some amount of panic among the people. Among viruses and microorganisms King Corona and its descendents enjoy Royalty Status. "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." This classic quote from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is well known. But does it hold well in current times? The events during the past five years challenge the Bard's view.

India’s 2021 excess deaths: was it the virus — or the containment frenzy?

By Bhaskaran Raman* Tyagu (name changed), a vegetable vendor recalls of his brother’s death in 2021. The victim had a normal fever, but was forcibly taken away to the hospital saying that it was Covid. He had been coerced into taking the Covid-19 “vaccines” by that time. After 10 days in hospital, he died. There was no proper information during his hospital stay, and no one was allowed to visit, saying that visitors could also get Covid.

Old bias, new excuses: How western media misrepresents India’s anti-terror strikes

By Gajanan Khergamker The recent Indian military strikes on Pakistan, dubbed Operation Sindoor, have sparked a storm of international media coverage. Several prominent outlets have portrayed India as the aggressor in the escalating conflict, raising concerns over biased reporting. This commentary critiques coverage by foreign media outlets such as The New York Times , Reuters, BBC, and CNN, which have often been accused of framing India’s actions as escalatory while downplaying or omitting critical context regarding Pakistan’s role in fostering terrorism. By examining historical patterns and current geopolitical dynamics, this analysis highlights the recurring selective framing, omission of evidence, and a tendency to favor narratives aligned with Western geopolitical interests over factual nuance.

जैविक जीवित संसाधनों व प्रकृति पर निर्भर मजदूरों की व्यापक आर्थिक सुरक्षा कैसे हो?

- राज कुमार सिन्हा* भारत में 60 करोड़ से अधिक लोग भूमि, जल, जंगल और समुद्र जैसे प्राकृतिक स्रोतों पर निर्भर हैं । देश में 14.6 करोड़ छोटे और सीमांत किसान, 14.4 करोड़ खेतिहर मजदूर ( बड़ी संख्या में दलित हैं), 27.5 करोड़ वन निवासी, 2.8 करोड़ मछुआरे, 1.3 करोड़ पशुपालक और 1.7 करोड़ कारीगर हैं जो सीधे तौर पर प्रकृति के साथ और प्रकृति के भरोसे काम कर रहे हैं । लगभग 6 करोड़ मौसमी मजदूर हैं जो काम के सिलसिले में लगातार अपने गांव से बाहर जाते हैं और लौटते हैं। प्रकृति निर्भर समुदायों की आर्थिक गतिविधियां जो बड़े पैमाने पर जीवन निर्वाह और छोटी आय के लिए है। वर्तमान आर्थिक नीतियों के कारण, जो कॉर्पोरेट्स और बड़े व्यवसायों का समर्थन करती है, प्रकृति निर्भर समुदाय के लिए अव्यवहारिक होती जा रही है।

राजस्थान, मध्यप्रदेश, पश्चिम बंगाल, झारखंड और केरल फिसड्डी: जल जीवन मिशन के लक्ष्य को पाने समन्वित प्रयास जरूरी

- राज कुमार सिन्हा* जल संसाधन से जुड़ी स्थायी समिति ने वर्तमान लोकसभा सत्र में पेश रिपोर्ट में बताया है कि "नल से जल" मिशन में राजस्थान, मध्यप्रदेश, पश्चिम बंगाल, झारखंड और केरल फिसड्डी साबित हुए हैं। जबकि देश के 11 राज्यों में शत-प्रतिशत ग्रामीणों को नल से जल आपूर्ति शुरू कर दी गई है। रिपोर्ट में समिति ने केंद्र सरकार को सिफारिश की है कि मिशन पुरा करने में राज्य सरकारों की समस्याओं पर गौर किया जाए।

Crying air, water, and earth: A call to conserve our dying natural resources

By Dr. Gurinder Kaur* Air, water, and earth—these natural resources are essential for the survival of all living beings, including humans, animals, and plants. Life in any form is impossible without them. These are precious gifts of nature to humankind. However, in the pursuit of economic growth, modern humans have severely polluted these valuable resources in an attempt to satisfy their greed.

The WHO Pandemic Agreement: Why India should reconsider its stance

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD* For more than the past three years, the WHO has been trying its best to push the Pandemic Treaty and amendments to the International Health Regulations in unholy haste, instead of conducting a proper appraisal of the impact of the measures taken during the Covid-19 pandemic—a routine exercise after any pandemic to guide future strategies. This raises questions about whether the WHO, under China’s influence, is trying to conceal its acts of omission and commission during the pandemic, including obstructing investigations into the origins of SARS-CoV-2. The WHO recently faced a setback when the USA decided to cut all ties with the organization.

21-day security operation targets Maoist presence, prompts questions on civil impact

By Harsh Thakor* Union Home Minister Amit Shah has described a recent counter-insurgency operation along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border as a significant achievement for Indian security forces in their efforts against Maoist groups. The three-week-long operation in the Karreguttalu Hills reportedly resulted in the deaths of 31 individuals identified as members of Maoist formations.

Environmental report raises alarm: Sabarmati one of four rivers with nonylphenol contamination

By Rajiv Shah A new report by Toxics Link , an Indian environmental research and advocacy organisation based in New Delhi, in collaboration with the Environmental Defense Fund , a global non-profit headquartered in New York, has raised the alarm that Sabarmati is one of five rivers across India found to contain unacceptable levels of nonylphenol (NP), a chemical linked to "exposure to carcinogenic outcomes, including prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women."

Search This Blog