Greenfaith Japan, together with Greenfaith Global, has issued a measured criticism of the recent Supreme Court ruling approving the construction of Shin-Yokosuka Thermal Power Plant Units 1 and 2.

“This decision is unfair to local residents whose health will be threatened by the new facility,” said Fletcher Harper, president of New York-based Greenfaith Global. “If we are to respect the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C, no new fossil fuel development is permitted, so this decision once again calls into question Japan’s commitment to the Paris Agreement.” The massive coal-fired power plant will have a generating capacity of 1.3 million kW and emit 7.26 million tons of CO2 annually, more than the oil-fired power plant currently operating at the same site. Forty-eight local residents filed a lawsuit in the Tokyo District Court, arguing that the facility’s fuel switch from oil to coal will result in emissions of some of the most serious greenhouse gas pollutants and require a new environmental assessment.” Greenfaith Japan advisor Yoshiro Sada responded, “Greenfaith Japan agrees with the local residents that the Yokosuka Power Plant is not simply a replacement for the previous oil-fired power plant,” adding, “We hold the feelings of the local residents in mind and look forward to working with them and other Japanese climate change advocates in the future.”

Green Faith is a global, multi-faith climate justice organization with staff in 12 countries and volunteer activities around the world. Last month, Green Faith teams from Japan and Indonesia conducted an educational training session for eight Japanese religious leaders at the proposed site of a coal-fired power plant in Indramayu, Indonesia, which the Japanese government is considering supporting. The participants learned about the negative impacts the plant would have on local residents and how local residents successfully persuaded the Japanese government to withdraw from the project. The participants are now working with Japanese believers to raise awareness of the need for a change in Japan’s climate change policy.

Contact Information:
Greenfaith Japan Advisor: Yoshiro Sada, yoshiro@greenfaith.org Greenfaith Executive Director: Fletcher Harper, +1-201-390-0094, fletcher@greenfaith.org