Climate campaigners from 350.org Japan today called on Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration to stop pouring public money into fossil fuel subsidies and instead seize the energy crisis as an opportunity to fund renewables and energy efficiency solutions that will permanently lower bills, especially for the most vulnerable households. The Japanese government is considering a supplementary budget bill to cover emergency relief measures, including additional fossil fuel subsidies. Climate campaigners see this as another move that delays the urgent need to phase-out fossil fuels. Masayoshi Iyoda, 350.org Japan Campaigner said: ‘Increasing already outsized public spending on fossil fuel subsidies risks placing Japan under further fiscal strain while feeding an unsustainable addiction to oil, coal, and gas. These subsidies would be on top of Prime Minister Takaichi’s promise to invest billions of dollars in fossil and nuclear energy projects in the US. The government must instead divert public resources towards fast-tracking the deployment of renewables such as rooftop solar, agriphotovoltaics and electric transport, as well as energy efficiency measures. Renewables, not fossil fuels, can provide both immediate economic relief and long-term energy and climate resilience.’ Earlier analysis by 350.org shows that oil and gas price spikes in the first two months of the war in Iran already cost Japanese consumers and businesses more than 1 trillion yen (approximately US$6.3 billion). ‘Polling shows that the majority of Japanese people are concerned about the war’s impact on their livelihoods. Japan is a powerful economy that shouldn’t allow its people to be held hostage by volatile markets and geopolitical tensions beyond its control. True energy security and economic relief will come from cheaper homegrown renewables and energy efficiency, not costly and unstable fossil fuels.’ Media Contact: Ilang-Ilang Quijano, 350.org Media Campaigner, [email protected], +639175810934 Masayoshi Iyoda, 350.org Japan Campaigner, [email protected] The post 350.org Japan: Subsidize renewables, not fossil fuels, in the national supplementary budget appeared first on 350.