Japan seeks climate leadership at G-20 summit but can’t kick its coal habit
By Simon Denyer (Published June 27 in The Washington Post) TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to burnish his green credentials. Japan, he said, will exercise “firm leadership” on climate change at the Group of 20 summit in Osaka this week, with a focus on “disruptive innovation” that generates economic growth. It also was a theme echoed by G-20 energy and environment ministers in their pre-summit meeting in the Japanese town of Karuizawa. But Abe’s ambitions conceal a dirty secret. Japan is hooked on coal, and it can’t kick the habit, environmentalists say. It is even helping to [...]
Consumers should not pay the price for risky coal deals
Sara Jane Ahmed Note: This commentary originally appeared in Business World. The rapid drop in the cost of renewable energy has opened new possibilities in energy systems around the world, including the Philippines. Coal has become toxic, both in terms of its high cost to consumers and the negative financial consequences for banks and investors. In India, China, Malaysia, and, most recently, Vietnam, a trend of cancellations and delays involving new coal plants has emerged. Vietnam is witnessing a rapid adoption of renewable energy while cumbersome coal power producers struggle to remain competitive. Here in the Philippines, the Panay Energy [...]